Firstly, can you give us some background on Westlands and its evolution as a company?

Westlands Horticulture was established in 1990 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland by Edward Conroy and Robert Lavery. Initially the company was set up to supply compost to the mushroom sector, however this developed into Edward and Robert having the vision to create the leading and most innovative horticulture company in the UK.

Since the early days of compost Westlands has grown in size and strength and now supplies a wide range of products to the horticultural industry, including lawn treatments, aggregates, lawn seed, plant food, control products, barks and more recently seeds and bulbs with the purchase of Unwins Seeds in 2004. In 2006 Westlands produced revolutionary reduced-peat compost called West+ which is created using a sustainable resource showing Westlands’ commitment to development and the Government’s reduced peat targets.

2009/10 saw Unwins grow in strength with the launch of its Gro-sure seed brand providing consumers with a whole new range of vegetables and flowers from the very best seeds from across the world designed to give every gardener guaranteed great results, however experienced.

The Unwins brand re-launched its seed range last year with great success didn’t it?

Yes we have seen a great response to the new Unwins Gro-sure range which was launched last year and this has been the catalyst to extending this range. We have listened to what the consumer has said about the Unwins ranges and have developed this further for next year. We also redesigned the packaging for the core Unwins range which has been positively received by all.

Tell us about the 2011 seed range?

Following on from a fantastic 2010 season in which the newly launched Unwins Gro-sure range became the stand-out brand receiving praise from both consumers and retailers alike, an even more focused and comprehensive seed range has been developed with new varieties and a new sub brand called Nature’s Haven.

Unwins products produce the best results regardless of the gardener’s experience and will encourage more people to grow their own flowers and vegetables year after year.

New for 2011 is Unwins Nature’s Haven seed range with 15 flower varieties chosen to attract bees, butterflies, birds and other insects to the garden, benefitting the environment and creating a beautiful setting.

The range goes from strength to strength for 2011, with new varieties; pea Ruthless and French bean Poweron, making the Gro-sure range a real must have offering for every retailer.

The Natural Companions range has been extended to now feature 10 different packs providing carefully selected varieties which work in harmony together acting as a decoy for insect pests. The ‘Little Growers’ range, designed to attract the younger generation into growing interesting vegetables and flowers, also encourages families to spend time together.

Famous for Sweet Peas and with over 100 years of expertise in breeding, Unwins continues to provide consumers with exclusive varieties of these beautiful flowers. New for 2011 will be Unwins’ high impact merchandising solution for Sweet Peas. They are displayed ranked by fragrance from high, medium to delicate enabling the consumer to choose the variety that is right for them.

What do your new seed potato ranges have to offer the ‘grow your own’ phenomenon?

Choosing seed potato has never been easier thanks to a unique solution created by Unwins.

Unwins has taken a new approach by segmenting its seed potatoes by Harvest Time, which simplifies the distinction between the more common but confusing terms of ‘first earlies’ and ‘main crop’. Four colours are used to segment by harvest time, aimed at helping the consumer to select from across the range by giving them the information that is most important to them.

All seed potato packaging has been improved to give clear navigation for all consumers regardless of their growing experience. Clear mouth-watering images give the consumer an example of their potential end result and descriptions of what their potatoes are ideal for; roasting, mashing etc.

All Unwins packaging will now feature detailed information of when to plant and harvest, plus it will even give the consumer an approximate yield figure.

The harvest time colour system has been designed to ensure our seed potatoes are accessible for all consumers whatever their experience, encouraging more people to give seed potatoes a go. We have also developed exciting merchandising display units which are not only eye catching but provide clear and concise information, making growing from seed potatoes easier than ever.

Consumers will be able to purchase Unwins seed potatoes in store in a variety of ways, from pre-pack and 2kg nets, to loose displays for those who like to handle and choose for themselves. In addition and to ensure growing seed potatoes really is simple, free education guides will be available from a specially created eye-catching stand, offering a step-by-step guide to producing the very best potatoes.

What support will you be offering retailers looking to incorporate these products into their current offering?

In 2011 Unwins is revolutionising the way seeds are marketed to consumers with a new campaign called the Gro-sure Challenge. The through the line marketing campaign will focus on encouraging consumer trial and driving participation. The drive to encourage more gardeners to grow their own has never been more prominent and Unwins believes that the Gro-sure range and challenge campaign will provide consumers with the perfect motivation.

In addition to merchandising support and materials, we offer a range of education guides for seeds and seed potatoes which simplify the grow your own process aimed at helping both the consumer and also the retailers when they are explaining the Unwins ranges to their customers. Our new trade website offers information about the ranges and also POS material which they can download for use in store.

What are your ‘top tips’ for effective in-store marketing?

Communication and marketing is the key to successful in-store marketing and ensuring the messages are easy to read. We have carefully designed the packaging of our Unwins ranges with straight forward messaging and image holding devices so consumers can easily browse the range. They are very accessible for consumers with the ranges split up into categories and also varieties. The images on the packets are clear, using different colours to separate each range.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---