Talk us through your products.

Scotsdales' product range is sold in 8 different departments. Garden Furniture, where we stock the brand, leads in all the new designs and materials from metal to traditional wood. We also stock BBQ's for a big garden or small patio. Garden Care - from fertilizers to control products, tools, bulbs, seeds, pots, containers, and compost plus a huge range of bird care products.

Pet Care - we stock a comprehensive range of pet food and equipment as well as small pets and everything you need for their care. Gifts cards or a special present for a friend, we have a great collection of gifts and also a range of clothing.

Houseplant & Bedding Plants - we always have a fresh range of houseplants to give your home a special feel. Seasonal bedding is always available to give colour in the garden. Outdoor Plants - the range and quality of outdoor plants has to be seen to be believed.

Hard Landscaping - we offer a wide range of hard landscaping material and also have 13 display gardens showing the products in a natural setting. 

What is your most popular product and why?

This varies, Primulas were the most popular product for the week ending 15 March when we sold over 4,500. Perennial (1) litre pot sales were over 1000.

What has trade been like so far this year?

What are the busiest months and why?

Trade this year has been difficult, the coldest winter for over 30 years and over two weeks of snow in February. March, April and May are our busiest months. The sun is shining and spring is here, so I am very pleased that our sales are exceeding all expectations

Do you belong to any buying groups / associations?

Scotsdales belongs to the Tillington Buying Group.

I am Vice President of the H.T.A. and Chairman of the Retail Strategy Group of the H.T.A. Scotsdales also belongs to the Garden Centre Association.

How do you compete with the multiples?

Scotsdales competes by offering a huge range of all products for the garden and having experts to advise our customers on any problem that they may have in their garden. Although we cannot always compete for price, we offer a range of products at value for money prices and a very good customer service.

Do you have an online platform?

We have a web site which is currently under review to be updated and we are looking at e-commerce which we hope to launch at the end of the year.

What are your main concerns as a garden retailer, in the current economic climate?

Weather is always a concern whatever is happening in the economy. Supply chain issues; we have already seen that some companies are unable to supply products which is possibly due to limited finance that is available. My last concern is that although many of our younger customers have reduced mortgages due to the reduction in interest rates, our older customers who rely on savings, are having their income reduced.

We understand that people will have limited budgets and will be more discerning when buying luxury items. We at Scotsdales are firm believers that if you are good at what you do and offer value for money we can encourage our customers to make the most of their gardens from ‘grow your own' to family BBQ's and why not have a holiday at home in your garden!

Scotsdales

01223 842777

www.scotsdalegardencentre.co.uk

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