GCA column: The year ahead

As we move into 2025, it’s a good time to reflect and learn from what has just happened in our businesses. Our Garden Centre Association Barometer of Trade (BoT) tells us that 2024 was a great year for catering, and food sales in general, across our member garden centres.

This demonstrates just how important the food sections of our business are. Not only are they areas of interest to all members of the buying public, ensuring we get great footfall, whatever the weather, but they are also very profitable sectors for most operators.

Our BoT figures show that catering sales increased by 11.76% in 2024, compared to 2023, while food hall/farm shop sales increased by 7.37%. These are wonderful and very important results, especially when the traditional gardening categories were struggling. While some of this increase can be linked to price inflation, it is such a positive outcome because our members’ customer numbers remained very good.

'Data is key'
When mentioning the BoT, of course, data is key, so belonging to a group such as ours allows you see what other centres are doing well – and maybe you could emulate them. Our annual inspections, which include the restaurants and other outlets, also give you an insight into what you are doing well and what needs attention. Using the inspection form provides clarity as to what your teams should be trying to achieve, and we know that a better score really does mean better business.

So, what can you do, armed with this knowledge, to achieve an even better 2025? The first priority is to make sure enough space is devoted to these winning categories. Pop-up catering offers – and different styles of offers, such as street food outlets – are known to add turnover without reducing core catering sales, so they could be an option if space allows.

Local provenance and homemade items are what garden centre customers are looking for and will always provide extra kudos. I also hear it said, from many catering experts, that you should try to be renowned for something – a certain dish, style or cake – that gives your customers something to talk about when chatting to friends and neighbours. You need to be talked about to remain in your customers’ psyches.

I also think garden centres overall, but restaurants in particular, have become great local hubs for meeting up, for entertaining and as places for hosting both commercial and local events. These ensure that your customers see you as an essential part of the community, not just a business, and give you not just a satisfied customer, but a real raging advocate who will herd people your way forever.

Good luck in the year ahead!

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