The buyers taking part in the Gardenex Meet-the-Buyers event on Wednesday 27 March 2019 are:
Ing. G. Beckmann KG, Germany – www.beckmann-kg.de
Beckmann is a manufacturer of greenhouses and also one of the leading German mail-order companies specialising in garden products. The company’s main focus is on greenhouses, greenhouse accessories and quality practical gardening equipment from tools and pest deterrents to composters and water butts but it also offers garden decoration, outdoor leisure and wild-bird/wild-life items. The company was established in 1973 and is a family business. It issues every year in January around 1.5 million printed catalogues (the 2019 edition is 126 pages) and sells on-line. Its manufacturing base, administration offices and warehousing extend over more than 13,000m2 and it employs around 70 staff. The company already imports from a number of Gardenex members.
The buyer is looking for new quality garden products to expand the range.
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Wexthuset Sverige AB, Sweden – www.wexthuset.com
Wexthuset Sverige AB is a Swedish online store selling direct to the general public and also acts as importer / distributor for several UK companies. Founded in 2002, the company originally sold geranium cuttings online but in 2005 it expanded to sell a broader range of quality garden products. Its warehouse and offices are located in Jursta, south of Stockholm, where they also have a small store where customers can collect orders or buy direct. In addition, they have a display garden where they test products before stocking them.
Wexthuset Sverige AB caters for all gardeners, from beginners to the very experienced. They offer products suitable for customers with just a window-sill or balcony as well as those with a large garden. Their range includes all types of practical equipment and accessories from tools, pots and plant protection to hydroponics and irrigation; greenhouses and accessories; pond liners, pumps, lighting and fountains; garden decoration, gazebos and pergolas; along with wild-bird items. Representatives have visited Glee.
The buyer is always on the look-out for new, innovative garden products to add to their B2C online store and is also hoping to widen their range of seeds and unusual plants. She is also looking for new brands to represent as importer / distributor and sell B2B in Sweden and the wider Scandinavian region.
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The following buyers – Jardinarium (Spain) and GRS Inkoop B.V. (The Netherlands) have asked to hold joint meetings with suppliers. At the moment they describe their relationship as ‘good colleagues’.
Jardinarium, Spain – www.jardinarium.com
Created in 2003, Jardinarium is a soft franchise group with 44 garden centres, 260,000m2 of retail space and a total turnover close to €40 million.
Jardinarium negotiates with suppliers on behalf of its members, offers advice on running a garden centre successfully and studies the market and consumer trends.
Over the last 13 years, Jardinarium has worked to create garden centres that are both easier to manage and clearer for the customer to understand. Whilst plants are at the centre of their offering, with information on where and how to use them, they also sell many other practical and decorative garden products. This policy has led to Jardinarium garden centres becoming some of the most profitable in Spain.
Jardinarium currently has no central warehouse so suppliers have to be able to deliver direct to store. They are sourcing some UK product via Spanish distributors and are keen to look at ways to import more in future. Representatives from Jardinarium have visited Glee in the past.
GRS Inkoop B.V., the Netherlands – www.grsretail.nl and www.groenrijk.nl
GRS Inkoop BV is providing buying services such as negotiated buying conditions, special promotion proposals, concept proposals etc, logistics and category management for its two shareholders: GroenRijk Retail BV and GRS Retail BV. GroenRijk is a franchise operation comprising 27 garden centres and offering some online sales from its website. GRS Retail offers purchasing services, advice and marketing support to 120 independent Dutch and Belgian garden centres. GRS Retail organises in-house fairs four times a year for its member garden centres.
Please note that the buying is done by the garden centres themselves. The individual garden centres place their own orders, but GRS Inkoop’s logistics provider will cross dock all the hard goods deliveries. This means that goods will be delivered to one address in Holland – or, in the case of some larger orders, the goods may be picked up by the logistics provider. The logistics costs for delivering to the garden centre will be negotiated between supplier and the logistics partner so that a delivered price can be provided.
The buyers from Jardinarium and GRS Inkoop B.V. are interested in seeing suppliers of every type of garden product.
