UK-based GoInStore, a real-time technology that enables customers to virtually visit and browse a retail store, has been named as a finalist in the “Retailing Technology of the Year” category of the National Technology Awards 2017. 

Last Friday (March 17) saw more than 100 keen garden industry participants don their walking and running shoes to complete a 21 mile distance in honour of industry charity Greenfingers. 

B&Q parent group Kingfisher has announced a significant rise in its underlying and adjusted pre-tax profits, up 14.7% and 8.3% respectively, for the year to January 31, 2017. 

The owners of family-run hardware shop David Messam Ltd of Chichester have made the tough decision to close down due to rising Brexit-related costs, tough competition from the internet and out-of-town retailers as well as dwindling footfall. 

Squire’s Garden Centre in Hersham celebrated the official launch of its newly extended and refurbished garden centre last Friday (March 17) – exactly 33 years to the day since it first opened in 1984. 

The Gardenex export federation is organising the British group of exhibitors at Spoga+gafa 2017, and has secured Government grants of at least £1000 for eligible companies. 

Leekes has been named Retailer of the Year at the prestigious Cardiff Life Awards after applying for the first time. 

British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) has reported a great response to an appeal it received looking for members to supply products for forthcoming primetime series: Love Your Home and Garden. 

Parent company Sainsbury’s reports good like-for-like growth for Argos in fourth quarter. 

The HTA Catering Conference and Dinner – A Piece of Cake? will have talks from garden centre operators, a chef at a five-star London hotel, as well as a look at the latest market information and a discussion on food psychology 

The owner of Chanterlands DIY and Hardware in Hull has decided to recreate the famous Hull Dead Bod icon on the shutters of his shop as part of a scheme to tidy up the local area. 

Ten extra large koi carp and one sturgeon were stolen from the display pond at Squire's Garden Centre in Badshot Lea near Farnham last Friday (March 10). 

Construction well underway on Trago Mills’ new dedicated building materials outlet, set to open in May. 

The Garden Re-Leaf Day Plant-athons this year will look to bring an added element of excitement to garden centres when they begin towards the end of next week. 

BHETA’s next networking forum covers a number of e-commerce topics and will feature Amazon category leaders, as guest speakers. 

Kingfisher retailer B&Q, famous for its warehouse-style, out-of-town outlets, has opened its first high street store, at 482, Holloway Road, London.  

Gorilla Tape will be the focus of a new TV advertising campaign, which is set to air across mainstream channels, including Sky Sports, ITV Breakfast, Channel 5 and Sky 1, throughout 2017. 

Retailers visited two nurseries in Hereford last week to attend PlantFest and to see new product developments for the coming year. 

Former Wyevale boss replaces John Cleland as CEO of the garden centre chain with immediate effect 

European countries have found a way around the ban on so-called bee-harming chemicals in pesticides, taking advantage of a legal loophole that allows “emergency authorisations”