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Market focus
Kitchen garden
Above: Sarah Crees, company buyer, Garsons, is shown in the kitchenware department. Below: What's new from Joseph Joseph.
With an impeccable background spanning 136 years, and a fierce determination to stand out in garden centre housewares retail, family-owned Garsons is clearly at the top of its game. Over the past three years, the award winning company has invested over ÂŁ5million in the redevelopment of its two sites at Esher and Titchfield, to include its kitchenware area, with the focus on giving customers the best possible shopping experience. So what else is on the housewares horizon? PH popped into Garsons Esher in Surrey, to meet up with the company's buyer Sarah Crees.
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arsons has been synonymous with growing produce since the late 19th century, having initially started out selling vegetables in 1871 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne. Over 13 decades later, and successfully operating in very different times, Garsons, started by George Henry Thompson, remains a successful family-run business, with md Ian Richardson - the fifth generation of the family - currently at the helm. (Other family directors, working in the business are Ian's brother Alan, their father Derek, Peter Thompson, his daughter Clare James and his nephew Ben Thompson. All are direct descendants of George). A programme of prudent re-investment and business development has kept the company constantly moving forward over the years. Its long heritage is at the heart of the business, with the current directors successfully taking the company into the 21st century. Below: Kilner jars are among the winners in the kitchenware department.
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Progressive Housewares
The rebuilding and redevelopment of the retail space at Esher two years ago, to include kitchenware, is a testament to that, as is the purpose-built retail operation at Garsons’ second site in Titchfield, Hampshire, which was opened last November. Finding alternatives to the high street offer is a key factor when sourcing product, and in charge of central buying for both sites is Sarah Crees, who joined Garsons 15 years ago, having previously worked at Jerry's Home Store.
Her remit is a challenging one by anyone's standards, covering everything from kitchenware and gifts to home fragrance and interiors, fashion accessories, greeting cards, stationery, books and toys. The small kitchenware department, introduced some 20 years ago, has trebled in size, with early suppliers including Dexam and Maxwell & Williams. Today, visitors will also find leading brands such as Le Creuset, Joseph Joseph, KitchenCraft, LSA International, Creative Tops and Portmeirion Group, with Sarah striving to take the department into different areas. "Originally, we only sold kitchen gadgets and tableware, but today we invest much more in kitchen giftware and 'stand out' statement pieces," she explains. "Most products come gift boxed nowadays, meaning that kitchenware is an important extension of our gift department, with the packaging helping to drive the purchase." Although Garsons still offers