Can anyone give me an insight into the garden center market?

Now, I hope this will not be immediately met with 'this is a very tricky door to get your foot in, don't bother'. Like all good, and bad ideas start out, this is just something rattling around in my mind that I can't seem to shake.

I have lived in Indonesia for several years, running a business in a completely unrelated sector (technology). Through buying horticultural supplies for a project, I have come across a manufacturer of a 'garden center' product which I think would do very well in the UK (if sold at the right price). It is unbelievably cheap (even being acclimatised to the prices here), good quality, and environmentally friendly. I have also not found this product in any UK marketplace.

If anyone knows the sector, I'd really appreciate some advise here. Is the garden center sector like other sectors where there is a large distributor I could pitch to, and get my product listed?

I don't know whether sharing details of the product here is a good idea, but I will happily share over PM's to validate my idea, or if anyone thinks they can help move it forward.

 

There are many small, privately owned garden centres and some national brands - their buying processes and trade terms will differ greatly.

The market itself is quite strong

There may be wholesalers - I can't claim to know

Often, the biggest hurdle of importing and selling to retail is funding the trade gap. There are specific funding products available, but it is a significant costs which needs to be taken into account

 

Thanks Mark, I am in a blessed position where I could pay on delivery to my facility here, and effectively export to myself through a sea freight company, eliminating what I understand to be the trade gap. I could afford to register an ltd, design some packaging and throw up a website as a punt, but I need a lead on a wholesaler, or a company who can get these things out there.

 

One of the garden centre trade fairs is Glee.
Look for past trade shows. Look for exhibitors. That will give you probably a few hundred names to research - businesses that exhibit at trade shows. They'll be able to distribute to the various retail outlets if you can interest the supplier in your product.

Next Glee is September as I recall - worth looking at attending to make a bunch of your own face to face contacts if nothing else.

 

A great lead, thank you!

 

My nephew is the General Manager of a small chain of garden centres in SE England. I know he (when CV19 permits) attends GLEE and he also goes to Holland early in the year on buying trips. If you could give an idea of what you might have to offer, I can ask if it is something that might be of interest?