“They make their own weather.”
Here’s a little puzzle for all IGCA delegates…
Which of the following statements and observations was not written by someone from the garden centre sector?
“Simply having desirable products to sell will no longer cut the mustard.”
“Heritage, reputation and affection are wonderful assets, but none of them relieves a brand of the obligation to be interesting in the here and now.”
“They know who they are. They invest in that identity. And they use creativity, experience and imagination to give customers a reason to care. Or, to use the phrase I seem incapable of going more than a fortnight without saying: they make their own weather.”
“Occasionally it did things that possibly made very little sense on a retail spreadsheet, but generated enormous cultural capital as a result.”
“However, in a discretionary market, none of us is entitled to the customer’s attention simply because we have a famous name above the door, however fondly it may be remembered.”
You’ve guessed it: none of these statements came from the garden centre sector. These are, in fact, referring to the iconic British department store, Harvey Nichols. As the famous department store goes up for sale, Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank asks what happened. My view: Your conclusions apply just as much to the garden centre industry as they do to the luxury retail sector. Judge for yourself and let my know what you think...
https://www.thewalpole.co.uk/news/harvey-nichols-sale-2026
