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Retailer Face To Face: Blue Diamond Group
Going For
Growth There’s not much in the way of home and giftware that you can’t buy at Blue Diamond’s flagship East Bridgford Centre in Nottinghamshire, one of 37 garden centres owned by the Blue Diamond Group. With seven new garden centres added to the portfolio in 2019, and two purpose-built garden centres currently underway for completion in 2021, PG&H met up with category managers Angie Goosen and Catrin Parry to talk growth, gifts and what makes Blue Diamond customers giggle! It’s not hard to see why the Blue Diamond Group of garden centres are continuing to flourish and win plaudits. “We strive to offer something different, products that other garden centres and high street department stores don’t,” explains Angie Goosen, group category manager for gifts, gift books, stationery and greeting cards. (Her remit also includes buying selected product for Christmas). Angie joined Blue Diamond just over a year ago, having previously been a buyer with Mr Price, the equivalent of Next in South
Africa. “Each of our centres has its own store footprint,” she explains. “At East Bridgford for example, we want customers to come in and say, ‘ooh, we haven’t seen this before’. We love different, be it a new ‘look’ or interesting artisan products that customers won’t be able to find in other garden centres or on the high street.” In total there are five category managers (covering gifts, home, Top: Stationery is a big focus. Above: Angie Goosen is shown in Blue Diamond’s gift department. Left: Catrin Perry’s remit includes buying for the art gallery.
kitchen and bathroom) all of whom are autonomous, giving them full reign to follow their hearts - and their instincts - as to what will work in a particular location. Buyers work remotely and make the day to day decisions, but major range changes and new product direction is formed as part of a committee. (Angie reveals that she has a keen eye for the humorous and the quirky with her personal passions being stationery and sentiment giftware). At the East Bridgford centre, which opened almost two years ago, in March 2018, the gift and home department – which includes an upmarket wall art ‘gallery’ at the front of the store - represents a massive 10,500 sq ft, with shoppers able discover everything from home fragrance and bath and body products to pick-up gifts, stationery, gift books, gift food, greeting cards, fashion and fashion accessories. There’s lots more besides too, to include a large gin section to include related glassware, and housewares. On the home/interiors front, it’s very much about decorative home accessories, soft furnishings and on trend furniture items, presided over by category manager Catrin Parry, (who spent over 30 years as a buyer for Next, Debenhams, Boots, Sainsbury’s and George), with her remit spanning decorative objects, soft furnishings and the centre’s upmarket art gallery. She joined Blue Diamond last January and says that that she doesn’t get scared by the high price
Eco Friendly Blue Diamond puts a big emphasis on sustainability with packaging especially important to the business. “We always mention it to both new and existing suppliers to see if there are alternatives to plastic, cellophane and polystyrene,” confirms Angie. “There is also a focus on biodegradable glitter across giftware, cards and giftwrap.” Adds Catrin: “We are, however, flexible with suppliers of all shapes and sizes and really try to help them, especially when it comes to smaller suppliers who haven’t got the same infrastructure as larger companies.”
Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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