Hit the road

If you need some inspiration, change your destination! Traveling, even short trips, always gives me a new perspective and a little boost in creativity. There’s no way to travel without getting inspired by new places and different ways of doing things. So to that end, we’re bringing you some international insights in this issue.

In this month’s cover story, we travel to the UK to explore a wildly successful independent garden center company — British Garden Centers. Author (and UK resident) Bob Marley shares the inspiring story of the company that has grown from a small, homegrown operation to a 60-location chain. You can read all about the evolution of the company and take a deep dive into its flagship store, Briggs Garden Centre, on page 16.

While the British garden center market might vary vastly from ours here in the US and Canada, there are many similar challenges to overcome (such as staffing, climate change and rising energy costs) and exciting opportunities (like family joining the company, branching out into new products and trying new marketing).

Chances are other garden centers near you are dealing with those same issues. It’s tough to travel as far away as the UK, but it’s worth taking a trip out to see some of the IGCs, botanical gardens or even just interesting retail shops in your area. Grab your camera, take a notepad and write down anything you like as you wander. It can be as simple as a funny sign or as revolutionary as a new store layout idea.

And if you want more inspiration from fellow garden centers, please join us for theGarden Center Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aug. 2-4 to tour some of the most innovative and exciting garden centers in town. Bob will also be on hand to share more insights from the UK live and in person, so you don’t want to miss it! Visit gardencenterconference.com for more information.

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the British garden center market and take away an idea or two for your own store. And if you’re taking a trip, we hope you’ll share what you find with us at kspirgen@gie.net.