Harbo Fritid has been acquired by Da’core Group

Da’core has acquired the trading activities of Harbo Fritid, creating a large European supplier to the outdoor furniture market. See more… Read more - members only

Creature comforts not worth the cash

Animal friendly gardeners may be wasting money on ineffective and unnecessary shop-bought homes for wildlife warns Which? Gardening. Read more - members only

Local opposition to Notcutts proposed Central Distribution Depot

Residents have formed an action group to fight Notcutts’ plan to build a 100,000 sq ft central distribution warehouse in Woodbridge to service its garden centres. See more... Read more - members only

Solus sheds wholesaler label

Solus Garden and Leisure should no longer be regarded as a wholesaler. They are now a supplier of their own brands and a wholesale distributor for a few targeted manufacturers. See more...
Read more - members only

Kettler GB is not affected by the financial collapse of MWH

MWH Metallwerk Helmstadt, part of the Heinz Kettler group in Germany has appointed a provisional liquidator. Kettler GB, a LOFA member, is owned separately and is therefore unaffected. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies sales to multiply 10x in 8 years

Tesco’s commitment to making Dobbies a national brand is as strong as ever, James Barnes told GIMA today as he seeks to multiply sales 10 times by 2019. Dobbies products are set to appear on the supermarket’s shelves as the gardening equivalent of Tesco’s finest. See more... Read more - members only

Klondyke completes purchase of Byrkley Garden Centre

The Klondyke Group has finally completed the purchase of Byrkley Garden Centre at Rangemore, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire from the Thompstone Brothers. See more... Read more - members only

Garden4Less Hit by Bosch / Amazon Scam

Local Internet retailer Garden4Less has been hit by a unique online scam involving the Amazon website. See more... Read more - members only

John Robinson Houseplants moves and changes name to House Plants Direct

John Robinson Houseplants has moved from Romsey to West Parley, near Bournemouth International Airport, and has changed its name to House Plants Direct Ltd. See more... Read more - members only

Outrage at blatant copying at Glee

Some of the most innovative companies in the garden industry have been outraged by blatant copying of their products at Glee. See more... Read more - members only

B&Q profits rise despite falling sales

B&Q warned that the immediate outlook for consumer spending is fragile and is likely to remain challenging for some time. See more... Read more - members only

Results from Dobbies, Scotts, Garden & Leisure and ...

Retailers dominate the latest results on Gardenforum including Dobbies, Blue Diamond UK, The Garden and Leisure Group and The Garden Centre Group, which we have already reported on. Also released are the latest from The Scotts Company (UK). See 'more' for a summary of the latest additions to Company Results... (This article is open to all readers)... Read more - open to all

Grosvenor tops £6m

Results from the Duke of Westminster’s Wheatsheaf Investments show that Grosvenor Garden Centre increased sales by 18% last year. See more... Read more - members only

Woodthorpe Hall buys Towneley GC

The Woodthorpe Hall Group buys Towneley Garden Centre in Burnley from receivers, making it five garden centres in the group. See more... Read more - members only

Nova re-emerges at Glee

Nova Garden Furniture is to re-emerge at Glee only 11 months after announcing that it would be winding down the business. See more... Read more - members only

Focus DIY appoints advisers re possible sale

The Observer reports that the owner of debt laden Focus DIY has called in investment bankers to look for radical ways to revive its fortunes. This might lead to a sale. See more... Read more - members only

"What's in a name?” asks Which? Gardening

The next issue of Which? Gardening reveals that Homebase and Argos are badging their own brand mowers as Qualcast and Spear & Jackson. It also reviews spades and garden forks. See more… Read more - members only

Flying Brands expands online offer with another acquisition

Web sales double as Flying Brands makes another acquisition, but it remains tough going in the garden division. See more... Read more - members only

Acamp rescued

GLG Acamp GmbH, the Austrian parent of Norfolk Leisure that called in an administrator on October 5, is to continue trading having resolved contract issues with its bank. See more... Read more - members only

Acamp calls in administrators UPDATED

GLG Acamp GmbH, the Austrian parent of Norfolk Leisure, has called in an administrator, having failed to agree seasonal funding with its bank. See more... Read more - members only

New Horizon up 44%

William Sinclair has published an optimistic trading update following the end of its financial year on Sept 30th. See more... Read more - members only

Whitehall buys Highfield Nurseries mail order

Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock, Wiltshire has bought the Highfield Nurseries mail order business and website. See more... Read more - members only

Ambitious plans for GardeningTV

Gardening TV has new owners with ambitious plans to double the number of host garden centres within 12 months. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies opens first Northern Irish centre

On Friday 25th September 2010, Dobbies will welcome its first Northern Irish customers to a new 48,000sq ft Dobbies Garden World in Lisburn, Belfast – the company’s first centre in the Province. See more... Read more - members only

Glee New Product Awards 2010

Pop-up rain barrel/water butt scoops triple honours in the Glee New Product Awards. For a list of winners see More... Read more - members only

National Conifer Week starts 2nd October

The HTA’s PlantforLife campaign and British Conifer Group have produced banners and a merchandising guide to help retailers build eye-catching displays that will have gardeners up and down the country pining for British Conifers. See more... Read more - members only

Wi-Fi offered at 89 TGCG garden centres

Motorists keen to break their journeys to check their emails or use the Internet can now do so at 89 garden centres in The Garden Centre Group. See more... Read more - members only

Plants and garden furniture prop up Homebase

Home Retail Group, the parent company for Argos and Homebase, warns that first half profits may be as much as 25% lower. It has been hit by declining margins and sales. See more… Read more - members only

‘A Great Achievement’ says Garden Centre Group chairman

The 2009 results for The Garden Centre Group Limited have been released and show the extent of the restructuring undertaken in February 2009.  Sales lifted 5%.  See more... Read more - members only

Sinclair invites growers to join peat free trials

William Sinclair is inviting professional growers to join trials of its alternative to peat, made from garden waste, and compare results with their usual growing media. See more… Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive