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Cash is blooming for UK garden centres
With Spring just around the corner many green fingered Brits will be thinking of embarking upon the annual Springtime garden rescue after our harsh winter.Bulbs, plants, seeds and compost will be on most Spring garden shopping lists.
Even though the cost of living continues to continues to make many people exercise caution regarding ‘non-essential’ spending, for many the garden is an essential part of life, providing the ideal place for relaxation and the opportunity to banish stress with a bit of energetic pruning or weeding!
There’s no-doubt that gardening is good for our mental health and we all need a bit of help these days!
Budgeting with cash is the ideal way to set aside a specific sum to be spent on the garden and there’s a growing trend of people using cash to purchase smaller gardening goods such as plants, tools, compost etc. so it’s important that garden centres are set up to use cash.
The current consumer experience offered by this market far exceeds conventional ideas of garden centres solely stocking plants, with many garden centres providing an extensive range of goods and experiences, including garden furniture, farm shops, pet supplies, aquatics, children’s soft play and retail concessions.
This diverse offering attracts consumers from a broad demographic spectrum, catering from those seeking a family day out to those visiting to make a one-off purchase.
What’s more, many garden centres have terrific tea rooms, cafes and restaurants, encouraging many people to prolong their visit, and cash is often the preferred method of payment. Whether it’s simple coffee and cake or a home cooked lunch, garden centres seem to excel at hospitality, attracting local customers and those from further afield and, crucially, generating a revenue stream 12 months of the year.
Cafés are usually operated in-house rather than via concessions and can account for up to 20% of total revenue if sizeable and run well.
So, with the opportunity for cash use to flourish in the garden centre retail environment, what’s the best way to take care of the cash to ensure that garden centre owners and managers are free to concentrate on the growth of the business?
Whether an independent or part of a chain, cash collection for garden centres is an important service particularly as ongoing back closures have made the task of making a trip to the nearest bank to deposit cash takings both time consuming and inconvenient.
A SafePoint compact smart safe from Loomis provides the ideal solution; providing an extensive range of benefits which leave employees free to deliver a great customer experience and excellent service.
Designed to validate notes, check, count and reconcile cash takings, and enable automated collection, SafePoint Compact provides security for cash deposit in a busy retail environment. What’s more, the cash contents of the safe are fully insured by Loomis.
A prime example of a garden centre using Loomis cash collection services to support business growth is Polhill Garden Centre, based in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Peter Bensted, Director of Polhill Garden Centre, has this to say:
“At Polhill Garden Centre, we believe in offering our customers a wide range of payment options, including cash, to ensure a smooth and flexible shopping experience. Partnering with Loomis has allowed us to streamline our cash management process efficiently.
Their reliable cash collection services across our site, paired with their intuitive portal, give us real-time insight into our cash logistics. The team at Loomis is always professional and responsive, providing excellent support whenever needed. We're excited to continue working with them for many years, as they play an important role in our operations.”
Just a few more facts about this interesting market sector:
Source : https://www.savills.com UK Garden Centre Spotlight 2023
There’s no-doubt that gardening is good for our mental health and we all need a bit of help these days!
Budgeting with cash is the ideal way to set aside a specific sum to be spent on the garden and there’s a growing trend of people using cash to purchase smaller gardening goods such as plants, tools, compost etc. so it’s important that garden centres are set up to use cash.
The current consumer experience offered by this market far exceeds conventional ideas of garden centres solely stocking plants, with many garden centres providing an extensive range of goods and experiences, including garden furniture, farm shops, pet supplies, aquatics, children’s soft play and retail concessions.
This diverse offering attracts consumers from a broad demographic spectrum, catering from those seeking a family day out to those visiting to make a one-off purchase.
What’s more, many garden centres have terrific tea rooms, cafes and restaurants, encouraging many people to prolong their visit, and cash is often the preferred method of payment. Whether it’s simple coffee and cake or a home cooked lunch, garden centres seem to excel at hospitality, attracting local customers and those from further afield and, crucially, generating a revenue stream 12 months of the year.
Cafés are usually operated in-house rather than via concessions and can account for up to 20% of total revenue if sizeable and run well.
So, with the opportunity for cash use to flourish in the garden centre retail environment, what’s the best way to take care of the cash to ensure that garden centre owners and managers are free to concentrate on the growth of the business?
Whether an independent or part of a chain, cash collection for garden centres is an important service particularly as ongoing back closures have made the task of making a trip to the nearest bank to deposit cash takings both time consuming and inconvenient.
A SafePoint compact smart safe from Loomis provides the ideal solution; providing an extensive range of benefits which leave employees free to deliver a great customer experience and excellent service.
Designed to validate notes, check, count and reconcile cash takings, and enable automated collection, SafePoint Compact provides security for cash deposit in a busy retail environment. What’s more, the cash contents of the safe are fully insured by Loomis.
A prime example of a garden centre using Loomis cash collection services to support business growth is Polhill Garden Centre, based in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Peter Bensted, Director of Polhill Garden Centre, has this to say:
“At Polhill Garden Centre, we believe in offering our customers a wide range of payment options, including cash, to ensure a smooth and flexible shopping experience. Partnering with Loomis has allowed us to streamline our cash management process efficiently.
Their reliable cash collection services across our site, paired with their intuitive portal, give us real-time insight into our cash logistics. The team at Loomis is always professional and responsive, providing excellent support whenever needed. We're excited to continue working with them for many years, as they play an important role in our operations.”
Just a few more facts about this interesting market sector:
- The sector has proven remarkably resilient compared to the rest of the retail sector despite a number of continuing headwinds.
- Consumer spend on gardening goods exceeds levels recorded pre-pandemic and there remain opportunities to expand the offer to new demographic groups.
- The increasing demand and appreciation for outdoor space and indoor plants exacerbated during the pandemic has benefited various consumer sectors, with particular focus on the garden centre market.
- Over the past three years, demand in gardening and plants has ballooned at an exceptional rate and, by 2025, is expected to reach £5 billion (UK). The garden centre industry continues to evolve to provide a retail and leisure destination that supports this multi-million-pound market.
- Diversifying income beyond core products via concessions has proven to increase dwell, footfall, and revenue; cafés can account for 20% of turnover.
- The gardening sector is unique in that the continued growth of the online market proposes a weaker threat to the sector compared to other retailer sub-sectors, as 82% of gardening shoppers purchased goods from stores (GlobalData). Consumers favour in-store purchases as shoppers seek experiential visits, instant fulfilment, and avoiding the cost/challenges of home delivery of fragile goods.
Source : https://www.savills.com UK Garden Centre Spotlight 2023