Our Rising Star Academy for hospitality staff relaunched Following the on-going success of our innovative Westland Horticulture-sponsored Rising Stars initiative, we’ve relaunched our hospitality section (February 2026). Coordinated by Costas Constantinou of Kosko, it has been created to highlight and develop talented individuals in garden centre restaurants and cafés and to recognise the important industry…
Garden centres – get in nominations new-look Rising Stars Academy We’re urging members to get nominations in for our new-style 2026 Rising Stars Academy – designed to help develop the industry’s most talented individuals – by February 28. The revised Westland Horticulture-sponsored Academy offers those participants the chance to be mentored by experts from the…
Applications open for 2026 GCA Trust Dick Allen Scholarship & three not two could go this year Our member garden centres are invited to put team members forward for the GCA Trust Dick Allen Scholarship Award Scheme with the chance of three people benefiting this year (February 2026). The scheme is open to GCA garden…
Westland Horticulture-sponsored Rising Star winner announced at GCA Conference LOUISE Lockwood from Planters Tamworth was named as the winner of 2025’s Westland Horticulture sponsored Rising Stars programme at the Garden Centre Association’s 60th anniversary year Annual Conference yesterday (January 26, 2026). Five individuals from member garden centres presented at the industry body’s annual conference after…
Champion of champions garden centres unveiled The winners of our most prestigious awards including our Garden Centres of Excellence were announced at our annual conference today (Tuesday, January 27, 2027). The awards ceremony took place at the Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire, as part of our 60th anniversary year celebrations. Our Chief Executive, Peter Burks, says:…
Monday’s awards at 2026 conference Garden centre teams from across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at our annual conference today (Monday, January 26, 2026). They were presented to our highest scoring member garden centres during a special ceremony at the Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire, as part of the GCA’s 60th anniversary year celebrations.…
December’s BoT shows a ‘nice’ end to the year December’s Barometer of Trade (BoT) figures out today show ‘another nice increase on sales’ and a year-to-date figure of +7.31% (January 23, 2026). Of the 13 categories logged by our member garden centres, nine were up when compared to December 2024 with seeds & bulbs top…
November BoT shows ‘strong growth’ Our November Barometer of Trade (BoT) out today reveals ‘strong growth’ of +9.04% when compared to the same month in 2024 – with the year-to-date figure up +8.18% too (December 19, 2025). From the 13 categories recorded by member garden centres, 11 were positive, when likened to November 2024 with…
Bank’s Head of Retail & Leisure at our Annual Conference An expert on Retail & Leisure for HSBC is presenting on retail trends at our Annual Conference at Carden Park Chester next month (January 2026). James Sawley, the bank’s Head of Retail & Leisure, is speaking at our 60th anniversary year event on the Tuesday,…
Our Westland Horticulture-sponsored Rising Stars finalists Five individuals from member garden centres have been revealed as finalists in our Rising Stars programme sponsored by Westland Horticulture (December 2025). Put forward by their garden centres, the staff completed a series of workshops in 2025 and will now present at our 60th anniversary year Annual Conference in…