Garden Centre Association

Returning for , we’ve two experts who will once again help members understand the wider economic landscape, key retail trends and what the future could hold for businesses in 2027.

👀 Who are they? All will be revealed on Monday!

📢 DON’T MISS JUSTIN KING at

We’re delighted to welcome Justin King, former CEO of Sainsbury’s and former Director of Food at Marks & Spencer, as one of our headline speakers at .

A highly respected leader in UK retail, Justin will share valuable insights on:

💡 Leadership in a changing marketplace
📈 Driving business transformation and growth
🛍️ Succeeding in an increasingly competitive, customer-focused environment
🗓️ Justin will be speaking on the Monday of the conference, offering delegates the opportunity to hear first hand from one of the UK’s most influential retail leaders.

🎟️ Bookings are now open! If you’d like to hear Justin’s keynote session and take advantage of everything has to offer, be sure to secure your place soon through the members’ area of our website.

👉 www.gca.org.uk/retail-leader-justin-king-confirmed-as-one-of-the-lead-speakers-at-our-2027-conference/

🌼 Garden centres feeling the heat? We were live on BBC Breakfast to discuss it! 🌼

This morning at around 8.44am, Matthew Bent of Bents Garden & Home represented the Garden Centre Association (GCA) on BBC Breakfast, speaking live from the Southport Flower Show about the impact of this summer’s heat and drought conditions on gardens, growers and garden centres across the UK.

During the interview with BBC reporter Peter Ruddick, Matthew shared insights into how garden centres have adapted to challenging weather conditions, changing customer demand, plant performance and the growing importance of drought-tolerant planting, as well as how important it is to look after your plants by mulching and using dripper watering systems.

With gardeners increasingly looking for resilient, water-wise plants, garden centres continue to play a vital role in providing expert advice and helping customers create gardens that can thrive in changing climate conditions.

A huge thank you to Matthew for representing us on national television and helping highlight the expertise and value that our member garden centres bring to communities across the country.

📺 Did you catch the interview on BBC One this morning? Don’t worry you can watch again on BBC iPlayer here at 8.44am: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone

🌍 What’s next for the economy, retail and the garden centre sector?

Known for bringing clarity to complex economic trends and translating them into practical insights for retail businesses, this duo’s 2027 session promises to be just as valuable.

📊 Economic trends
🛍️ Retail outlook

🔮 What businesses should be preparing for in 2027

We’ll reveal who they are soon...

Any guesses? 👇

🌟Our is The Patio Black Spot Removal Company LTD.

With more than 40 years of experience in the stone cleaning and restoration industry, the team has developed innovative products designed to restore and protect stonework, helping bring surfaces back to their natural colour and appearance. It produces the award-winning Stone King®.

Photo:

🌐 www.patioblackspotremoval.com/pages/stone-king

🏆 BIG NEWS…Worrall Cup entries are opening earlier than usual!

Garden centre members can submit their marketing campaigns for the 2026 Worrall Cup from September 1 to October 31, giving more time to prepare entries ahead of the busy festive season.

Could your creativity, originality and commercial success earn you the industry's top marketing accolade?

Read more and start planning your entry garden centres: www.gca.org.uk/entries-for-worrall-cup-open-earlier-than-normal/

📢 IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS: Sir Jason Kenny CBE will be one of our headline speakers at , taking place January 24-27, 2027 at the Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon.

🚴‍♂️ The most successful British Olympian of all time
🚴‍♂️ Multiple Olympic gold medallist across three Games
🚴‍♂️ A true icon of high performance, sharing insights on determination, excellence and a winning mindset

👉 Read more:

https://www.gca.org.uk/sir-jason-kenny-a-headline-speaker-at-our-2027-gca-conference/

🎟️ Secure your place today and join us for another fantastic conference packed with industry insights, networking opportunities and inspiring speakers. Book through the members’ area of our website.

🌐 www.gca.org.uk

🏆 🏆

We’re looking back at the winners of the brand-new Garden Construction Award, sponsored by Meadow View Stone, from !

🌟 CATEGORY WINNERS

✅ DGC: Chessington Garden Centre Surrey
✅ GC: Millbrook Garden Centre, Gravesend
✅ LGC: Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens

🥈🥉 RUNNERS-UP:

DGC

2nd: Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
3rd: Planters Tamworth

GC

2nd: Poplars Garden Centre
3rd: Bell Plantation Garden Centre & Café

LGC

2nd: Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers & Klondyke Garden Centre, Livingston =
3rd: Squires Garden Centre, Crawley

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists! 👏

Think your centre could take home an award this year? Book your place via the members’ area of our website for and find out!
Squire's Garden Centres

🌍 IGCA 2026 IS UNDERWAY!

This week, colleagues from around the world have gathered in Germany for the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) Congress 2026, taking place until August 22 in Munich. 🌱

We’re delighted that our Chairman Ben Harrison is representing the UK and joining fellow industry leaders for a week of inspiring garden centre visits, innovative retail ideas, networking and knowledge-sharing on a global scale.

The annual IGCA Congress is a fantastic opportunity to gain fresh insight, discover new trends and bring back ideas that can help shape the future of garden retail in the UK.

We hope everyone attending has a productive and inspiring week. We look forward to hearing about the highlights and key takeaways from Ben and the wider UK delegation.

📍 Munich, Germany
📅 August 16 to 22, 2026

Photos

International Garden Centre Association (IGCA)

🌞 Despite the hot weather and water restrictions...GOOD NEWS – July was a standout month for garden centres!

Our latest Barometer of Trade reveals that member sales increased by +10.66% in July, with customers investing in replacement plants, outdoor living and garden essentials.

As CEO Peter Burks describes it: “All in all, a very pleasing month.”

See the full results, category breakdowns and regional performance here 👉 www.gca.org.uk/julys-bot-is-out-it-was-a-very-pleasing-month/