Nurturing future display talent

The first Glee Talent Storeworkshop was the steppingstone to identifytwo teams vying for afantastic opportunitytocreate imaginative displays to greet visitors at Glee in June.

Atanexciting one-day crash-course in visual merchandising and display,24team members from 12 garden centres came together to learn about the principles of display,futuretrends and colours. With guidancefromDeborah Flowerday,VisualMerchandising Consultant, theylater put intopracticewhat theyhad learnt by creating displays on the shop floor of Millbrook Garden Centre, Gravesend, Kent, which hosted the event.

The workshop wasthe first part of the Glee Talent Store programme, organised by Glee with supportfromthe GCA and gardening influencer Michael Perry(Mr Plant Geek). Its aim is for garden centres to enter staff theyhaveidentified showing promising display skills.

In the second partofthe programme, 12 people (two teams of six) will be chosen (tobeannounced during April) to each build apop-up display in the NEC’satriu to each build a pop-up in the NEC’s atrium at the entranceofGlee. With afocus on houseplants or outdoor plants the teams will maximise the techniques learnt for linked sales and crossmerchandising she now sees more enticing

Deborah Flowerday is thementor for thenew initiativeand offered her extensive insightsintothe principles of display,such as themes, shapesand colours.She also offered tips on howtouse spaceto makecreative displays thatnot only excite customers but also inspire themtobuy the products on show “Displays communicateyour brand identity and are the cheapest form of advertising,”she says andadds shenow sees garden centres as having moreenticing and exciting displays than highstreet stores.

Michael Perryoffered 19 plant-based promotion and display ideas while Wendy Lowe from TrendBible discussed the mechanics about trend forecasting and the themes and colours for spring/summer 2024

“Weare really pleased we had52entries which we had to whittle down to 24,” says MatthewMein, Event Director at Glee. “The keytothe Glee Talent Storeis identifying and nurturing those in the early partof their garden centrecareer and it’spleasing to have people with such avariety of backgrounds and working in different departments from planteria to gifts and afarm shop.”