Record Easter and good May Day holiday for garden centres

Garden furniture, sundries and plants drive strong garden centre sales in April; and stock keeps flowing despite upheavals in the supply chain. There is a feeling that the gardening feel-good factor is back. See more... Read more - members only

Hillview Garden Centres has acquired its 9th garden centre

Hillview Garden Centres has acquired Little Heath Garden Centre. This is the 7th site acquired by the group in 2014. See more... Read more - members only

Good progress in Solus talks

Solus says good progress is being made in talks with potential trade and financial investors, but the process will take a few weeks. See more... Read more - members only

Culture change for Gardman

Stewart Hainsworth started as CEO of Gardman last September. He has spent his first 7 months looking and listening, building a new management team, restoring relations with agents and changing the culture. See more... Read more - members only

New hope for Hare Hatch Sheeplands

Weeks before a public enquiry to hear an appeal against enforcement action that would effectively close Hare Hatch Sheeplands, there is hope of a negotiated settlement. See more… Read more - members only

TGCG didn’t have a very attractive offering to the leisure customer, says Hands

Guy Hands talks about his strategy for TGCG, a business that was in need of fundamental change in 2012, when Terra Firma bought it. A director describes how the puzzling stock of goods was reassessed. See more... Read more - members only

Talks between Solus and Scotts have broken down

Negotiations between Scotts and Solus have broken down without a deal and the distribution agreement between the two companies has expired. See more... Read more - members only

Staff confirmed as Notcutts COO as Tunbridge Wells reopens

Notcutts is to hold the official reopening of the garden centre at Tunbridge Wells next week. At the same time it has emerged that former FD Andrew Staff has been confirmed as the new COO. See more... Read more - members only

TGCG buys Brooks Nursery & Garden Centre

The Garden Centre Group has this morning announced the acquisition of a Brooks Nursery and Garden Centre in Cornwall.  See more... Read more - members only

New management team tasked to drive Gardman growth

Gardman CEO unveils his new management team to drive growth in wild bird care and gardening in an increasingly competitive market.  See more… Read more - members only

Tesco’s plans for Gloucester site story ‘premature’

A story in the local press about Tesco’s redevelopment of its store at St Oswald’s Retail Park in Gloucester are premature according to a Tesco’s spokesperson. See more…. Read more - members only

Scotts and Solus in negotiations to join forces

Solus Garden and Leisure Ltd and The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd have today revealed that they are working on a plan that would bring the two businesses together in the UK. See more… Read more - members only

Cherry Lane buys garden centre in Lowestoft

QD Stores, the value retailer, has acquired a garden centre in Lowestoft, which will become the 10th store for Cherry Lane Garden Centres. See more... Read more - members only

Supermarkets blamed by two loss making garden centres

Two garden centres, one in Barrow, the other near Stafford are blaming supermarkets for poor sales. The second is closing, the first has an insurance policy if conditions don’t improve. See more... Read more - members only

Barclays backs Bents with £8m loan

Barclays has provided an £8m loan to fund a two-storey extension as part of Matthew Bent’s plan to create a major Garden and Home retail destination at Bents. See more… Read more - members only

Next opens its first store to focus purely on Home and Garden

Next has opened its first store to focus purely on the home and garden part of the business, at Cribbs Causeway. See more... Read more - members only

Haxnicks to join forces with Tildenet

The sales and distribution of Haxnicks products is to move from Smart Solar to Tildenet, the netting and ground cover specialist at the end of May. See more... Read more - members only

Latest TGCG recruits bring the best of the retail industry to the gardening world

TGCG has drawn from Dixons, Homebase, Waitrose and Britvic to expand its trading division and bring the best of the retail industry to the gardening world. See more… Read more - members only

Industry experts at opening of Highfield’s massive extension

Last week saw the official opening of the £2.5m extension at Highfield Garden World that has doubled sales and makes it one of the largest garden centres in the country. See more... Read more - members only

Another rebuff for Yarnton Nurseries

Yarnton Nurseries has had plans to build 14 houses on surplus land turned down due to Green Belt restrictions. See more... Read more - members only

Solus in new talks

Solus engages Grant Thornton and says it is in talks as Bayer becomes the latest supplier to move away. See more... Read more - members only

TGCG names new regional operations directors

TGCG has announced the new regional operations structure for its garden centres, but it is not strictly regional as the group seeks synergies from centres of a similar size. See more... Read more - members only

More normal conditions appear to be returning

Marshalls says sales are up 18% and Sinclair suggests more normal conditions appear to be returning to the sector, while B&Q continues to optimise store size as it moves to omni-channel retailing. See more... Read more - members only

TGCG buys Brooks Nursery & Garden Centre

The Garden Centre Group has this morning announced the acquisition of Brooks Nursery and Garden Centre in Cornwall. See more... Read more - members only

Scotts set to buy Solus

It has become clear that the new relationship planned for Scotts and Solus will be a full acquisition of the UK wholesaler by the American owned manufacturer. See more… Read more - members only

Garsons Farm call in Compass’ Instore to run Titchfield restaurant UPDATED

Garsons Farm have awarded a five-year contract worth £2.4m to Instore to run the Terrace Restaurant at their Titchfield, Hants, garden centre. See more … Read more - members only

Garden Centres making the news

Upset staff due to potential job losses at Huntingdon, housing on a Romsey garden centre and miracles at a Hassocks garden centre are among the talking points in regional newspapers this week. See more... Read more - members only

Moseley leaves as TGCG reshapes G&L

John Moseley leaves Garden & Leisure as TGCG talks to garden centre and head office employees about their future. See more... Read more - members only

The truth behind the Van Hage rumours

The facts that sparked rumours about Van Hage’s Great Amwell garden centre can be revealed. Far from closing there are plans to add a Waitrose store and redevelop the site. See more… Read more - members only

Fears of job losses as TGCG reviews staffing at G&L

TGCG is to review the staffing and management structure at Garden & Leisure.  Also, having restructured senior and regional management in the main group, it is appraising garden centre managers. Read more - open to all

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