Retail Interview Wyevale Garden Centres
Firmly planted Penny Franks had the pleasure to question Afzal Sachak, senior buyer, Wyevale Garden Centres Wyevale Garden Centres is a wellknown name - can you tell us a little about Wyevale Garden Centres and how this has been achieved over the years? Wyevale Garden Centres, formerly The Garden Centre Group, is the nation’s largest group of garden centres, with 148 centres across the country. Their roots date back to Wyevale Nursery, which was founded in 1932 and eventually became one of the earliest garden centres. Wyevale Garden Centres’ mission is to bring the joy of the garden to everyone, providing a place where
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anyone can come to find help, ideas and inspiration. Naturally, you have a great opportunity within the gifting sector - how do you manage this in-store? We ensure that the customer journey within the store takes them through our Home & Gifts department which is usually located alongside our houseplants and greeting cards categories to create a gifting destination. What type of products do you stock? We stock a wide a variety of gifts that includes candles and fragrance
We ensure that the customer journey within the store takes them through our Home & Gifts department which is usually located alongside our houseplants and greeting cards categories to create a gifting destination through to figurines, photo frames, vases and decorative objects for the home. We also stock a wide variety of personalised products for all age groups, as well as a selection of decorative objects that can be used as ‘gifts’ for various age groups and occasions - from weddings and births
through to key seasonal events such as Mother’s Day. How do you keep abreast of any gift buying trends? By monitoring what is going around me in my life every day and following lifestyle trends and cultural influences