Award: Garden Centre Outlet of the Year
Jack Shilley, garden centre manager
What are your key goals/priorities as a business for 2020?
Our goals and priorities going into 2020 are to continue to grow the business, promoting the fact that we are different, unique and help people fundamentally get their lives back on track. We are also looking at introducing four small new concessions to the business — again putting our unique spin on them and ensuring that they are local businesses, each different
and individual.
What do you regard as the biggest opportunity for you as a business (or for your sector) in 2020 and why?
Our biggest opportunity remains as houseplants and gifts. The new shop is still in its infancy and we are still developing and changing the product ranges in here to suit our customers and showcase something you can’t get elsewhere. The café is also an important growth area for us in the coming year, and we will be looking at how we can increase the number of covers and develop this side of the business further.
What do you feel will be the biggest challenge for you as a business (or for your sector) in 2020 and why?
Brexit will inevitably be a challenge for us in terms of our houseplant supplies as well as generally for trade, as the public don’t seem confident at the moment. We need to also continue to change the layout in our store and adapt, again, as it is still new to many of our customers, to ensure that we get the right feel and flow.
What was the best thing about winning a Horticulture Week Business Award for you as a business?
The wonderful comments and support from our customers have been great. It has been a fabulous boost for our team and their morale as well as exciting for our loyal customers.
Inspiration and insight from travels around the horticultural world