Celtic Spa’s – LOFA Member profile

The trials ground at Kentford, Suffolk in full bloom this summer.

In a bid to distance garden centre sales from those directly to online consumers, DT Brown, Mr Fothergill’s and Woolmans ranges are currently sold under the Greenregis umbrella. Dave Carey says a major piece of brand and insight work is currently going on so the company can fully understand how to make the most of all opportunities.

New for 2023, Mr Fothergill’s seed packets sold in garden centres will be without a visible price. For the last two years it has been slowly introducing coloured roundells, but also printing the price alongside. This year, for the first time, the price will not be printed with customers having to refer to the colour coding to work out how much they need to pay. “We have had a lot and very similar price points across the ranges from Mr Fothergill’s through to the Sarah Raven and Jekka’s herb seeds, so now we have just 10 price points,” explains Dave.

Another opportunity for sales growth that Dave sees is with Darlac tools, which Mr Fothergill’s acquired in 2017. “We didn’t know the tools market, but we looked at all the data and approached it in the same way we do with seeds. So rather than garden centers choosing everything, which they’re more than entitled to do, we worked out a way to get the best sellers on one stand. And then we worked out what that would look like if there was space for two or three stands.” Using the same techniques for selling seeds, ie regularly topping up stock and ensuring it looks good, is paying off with tools and now the Darlac range is being sold at Notcutts, Choice Marketing, Blue Diamond and other groups as well as independents. “There is still plenty more room for growth,” says Dave, and on the subject of more acquisitions he says: “Yes certainly, if it [the company or product] was intrinsically linked with what we already do.”

In today’s world of modern technology it’s even more important for families to spend time together and hot tubs are a perfect solution – they offer screen free time for all the family. Hot tubs create a unique and relaxing environment making it easy for people to talk through the trials and tribulations of the day and they boast a number of substantial health benefits including improved blood circulation and the relief of joint pain leading to a better night’s sleep.

In the UK, Celtic Spas distributes a number of products for the home leisure market to improve retail sales and enable consumers to expand the possibilities of their garden. It is also proud to be the UK sole distributor of quality hot tubs, swim spas and saunas produced by the European manufacturer, Hanscraft.

• Full training provided. From marketing through to after sales. • 10-year structural warranty. • 2-year electrical, jets and plumbing warranty. • Triple insulation resulting in low running costs. • Made in the EU with European and American parts • Flexible supply from UK stock wholesale to direct container orders • Excellent ROI for businesses. • Achieve up to 45% margin with average order values of £8k • Fast delivery on bespoke orders – from four weeks

In 2020, GS a long-established home store selling a variety of home furnishing including sofas, carpets and beds, began to stock Celtic Spas hot tubs. Full training was provided from setting up the new department and marketing to attract new customers, to delivering the product and after sales. Utilising its existing sales team GS decided to display five hot tubs near the outdoor furniture department.

In its first year of stocking, Celtic Spas was the fourth best supplier in terms of sales turnover in the store. This was repeated for its second year of stocking from August 2021-2022. As a bolt on to its existing product offering, GS continues to see demand for quality outdoor leisure products and anticipates this to continue through 2022 – 2023 and beyond.

To discuss how you could benefit from stocking spas, saunas and hot tubs, email sales@celticspas.co.uk or telephone 01633 848199.