Meet-the-Buyers Events

A great chance for British suppliers to have one-to-one meetings with international garden trade buyers seeking new products from the UK!

Gardenex holds regular Meet the Buyer events at our offices in Brasted, near Sevenoaks, Kent.  These are an invaluable and cost-effective opportunity for UK-based suppliers to have one-to-one meetings with international garden trade buyers.  Our speed-dating format allows UK suppliers the chance to promote their products and services in 25 minute meeting slots, and start the foundations for an excellent working partnership.  Buyers taking part include garden centre retailers, importers/distributors/wholesalers, mail-order and online stores from Europe and occasionally further afield.

As it is more difficult at the moment for international buyers to travel to the UK, we are holding our Meet the Buyer events virtually via Zoom.  Three buyers from the leading US garden specialist mail-order/online store, Gardener’s Supply Company, are taking part on different days during December 2022 (7th, 13th and 14th).  For full details and an application form, please click on the tabs above.  If you would like more information, please contact Eleanor Wigram.

We have attended a number of these events and have always found them to be a very useful tool for our export market. In general they are very informative and have repaid the time, effort and expense many times over.

- A happy supplier!

The company taking part in our virtual event in December 2022 is:

Gardener’s Supply Company – www.gardeners.com

Established in 1983, Gardener’s Supply Company is one of the leading US omni channel companies, specialising in the garden sector. They operate a nationwide printed mail-order catalogue, with around 14 drops per year. They started selling over the internet as early as 1994 and launched their www.gardeners.com on-line store in 1998. Headquartered in Vermont, where they have a large distribution centre, Gardener’s Supply employs around 300 people and is 100% employee-owned.

Gardener’s Supply also operates four full-service garden centres. Two are located in the company’s home state, in Burlington (opened 1989) and Williston (opened 2008 and the largest in Vermont). In 2018, they opened their third in Lebanon in the neighbouring state of New Hampshire, and in 2020 they acquired a long-established garden centre in Hadley, Massachusetts.

Gardener’s Supply buyers are regular visitors to Glee, spoga+gafa and the US’s National Hardware Show. They source from a number of UK companies as well as from the Far East and other parts of the world. They also produce a range of their own problem-solving garden items.

Gardener’s Supply Company’s range includes all types of practical gardening equipment and accessories, wild-bird/wildlife items, garden decoration, outdoor leisure and much more.

Product requirements:
Three Gardener’s Supply buyers are taking part on separate days. They each handle different aspects of the Gardener’s Supply range, as shown below. All are looking for further new and innovative products within these product areas. When applying, please indicate which buyer you would like to meet: A, B or C.

Buyer A – Wednesday 7 December 14:00-17:00 (UK time):
• Seed starting/propagation except for soils
• Structures and plant supports – arches, trellising, fencing, decorative edging, tomato cages other veg cages and flower supports
• Season extending – anything that prolongs the growing season, plant protection
• Miscellaneous accessories – plant ties, cable systems, markers, earth staples, table top and low floor pot stands (taller ones handled by Buyer C)
• 6” cachepots for partnering with amaryllis bulbs.

Buyer B – Tuesday 13 December 14:00-17:00 (UK time):
• Raised beds, elevated planters, and pots/containers
• Composting
• Potting mixes and fertilisers
• Backyard habitat – birds, butterflies, pollinators

Buyer C – Wednesday 14 December 14:00-17:00 (UK time):
• Landscape – mulches, edging, walkways/stepping stones
• Clothing – gardening/work gloves, hats, tool bags
• Furniture – outdoor furniture or plant stands
• Household helpers – boot trays/door mats, harvest keeping, canning/pickling
• Watering – hoses/irrigation, hose organisation, watering cans, water butts
• Tools – garden tools, power tools, carts and gathering
• Outdoor Décor – lighting, decorative stakes, statuary, wind chimes

I am really pleased with the incredible service offered by Gardenex & PetQuip. This was the second time that I had participated in a Meet-the-Buyers event and literally, just a few days earlier, I had received an order along with an order forecast from the buyer I met at the previous Meet-the-Buyers event.

- A happy supplier!

If you would like to have a virtual meeting with one of the buyers at Gardener’s Supply Company, please complete the application form (see tab above) and email to lydia@gardenex.com.  Gardenex will send a list of all applicants to the buyers who will select those they wish to ‘meet’.

Virtual meetings will take place on 7th, 13th or 14th December, in the afternoon UK time.  Each supplier selected by one of the buyers at Gardener’s Supply will be allocated a 25 minute one-to-one, private meeting.  This is a great opportunity to introduce and present your company, products and USPs.

On the day itself, the Gardenex Events team will coordinate and connect buyer and supplier via Zoom and then withdraw, only re-entering the meeting when your 25 minute slot is over.

The cost is shown below:

On receipt of the application form and confirmation from the buyer that he/she would like to meet you, Gardenex will send you an invoice.  Invoices must be settled in advance of the event.  Payment can be made by credit card over the telephone, BACS or cheque.

The Gardenex Meet-the-Suppliers events are better than five days at a trade show!

- A happy buyer!

If you would like to meet one of the buyers from Gardener’s Supply Company, please complete the application form  and return it to Lydia Stubbs on lydia@gardenex.com by Tuesday, 15 November.

If you would like any further information, please contact Eleanor Wigram on eleanor@gardenex.com or tel: 01959 587 443 / 01959 565995.