As the UK gardening market approaches 拢5 billion by 2025, garden centres face both opportunities and challenges, stemming from maintaining their local charm whilst adapting to the evolving retail landscape.
Today鈥檚 garden centres are transforming into comprehensive leisure destinations that extend far beyond plants and gardening supplies, broadening their horizons through ventures into caf茅s, gift areas and seasonal retail zones. These new additions not only inspire the customer experience, but also drive significant footfall increases, leading to further growth throughout the UK.
However, this increase in popularity brings its own set of challenges that garden centres must learn to navigate:
- Caf茅 Congestion
Customers queue for tables but eventually give up and leave, reducing dwell time and potential spending.
- Cramped Retail Experience
Crowded aisles during peak weekends create an uncomfortable shopping environment, deterring browsing.
- Reduced Dwell Time
When visitors feel uncomfortable due to crowding, they spend less time and money per visit.
Fostering a comfortable environment for visitors is at the forefront of the customer experience, particularly for garden centres as they have transformed into a retail destination known for leisure and ease.
In order to create this atmosphere, it is vital that garden centres explore the possibility of an extension to increase their existing space, but this may present various obstacles:
- Planning Permission Challenges
Full planning permission can take months to secure, with no guarantee of approval, especially in protected or restricted areas where many garden centres operate.
- Construction Disruption
Traditional builds create extensive operational disruption, often requiring the closure of sections, or creating noise and access issues that compromise the customer experience.
- Significant Capital Investment
Constructional developments incur substantial upfront investment, creating financial pressure and risk, particularly when testing new concepts or seasonal requirements.
Our Moda Structures:
Showplace are pleased to offer an alternative space solution utilising our modular structures, creating a customisable space that can be adapted to your specifications.
With limitless configurations, our structures can be rapidly deployed in as little as 24 hours, resulting in minimal disruption to daily operations. Comprised of high quality materials, our structures can withstand all weather conditions and can be installed on a wide variety of terrains, making them suitable for even the most rural locations.
Stratford Garden Centre:
Stratford Garden Centre is an independent, family run business based in Clifford Chambers and offers a wide range of products from plants and tools to homeware and gifts.
In 2020 and 2024, Showplace provided Stratford Garden Centre with two separate extensions to create 288 sqm of extra space to accommodate for the ever-growing popularity of their beloved Lime Tree Restaurant.
The installation was carried out in a matter of days without disruptions to regular business operations, allowing guests to continue visiting the existing restaurant space whilst seeing a glimpse of the exciting developments in progress.
Commenting on the extension, Helen Lloyd, owner of Stratford Garden Centre, said:
鈥淲e are delighted with our new extension to the Lime Tree Restaurant. We were pleased to work with Showplace on this project and would recommend them to any business requiring additional space.
Helen Lloyd, Owner of Stratford Garden Centre
Since installing the structures at Stratford Garden Centre, the Lime Tree Restaurant has continued to flourish, gaining many new visitors throughout the year. The Showplace team have also been busy constructing more extensions at garden centres across the UK, demonstrating the increasing popularity of this new retail sector intertwined with local community spirit.
For more information on our extension space solutions, call us on 01789 262701 or email us at sales@showplace.co.uk. 聽聽
