Meet-the-Buyers Event

Brasted, Kent, UK

October 18, 2023 to October 18, 2023

Meet-the-Buyers Event
  • ABOUT
  • BUYER PROFILES
  • COST
  • APPLICATION FORM

ABOUT

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.

Our next Meet the Buyer event will take place on Wednesday, 18 October 2023.  The buyers taking part are from Germany (garden), Switzerland (garden and pet) and the Netherlands (pet).  Please see the ‘Buyer Profiles’ tab for more information about the companies and their product requirements.

If you would like to take part, please complete the application form as soon as possible and return it to Eleanor Wigram on eleanor@gardenex.com.  For any further information, please contact Eleanor by email or tel: 01959 587 443 / 01959 565995.

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!

BUYER PROFILES

The companies taking part in our Meet the Buyer event on Wednesday, 18 October are:

GARDEN BUYER

Beckmann GmbH & Co. KG, Germanywww.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, cold frames and quality practical gardening equipment from tools and pest deterrents to composters and water butts, but it also offers a small range of garden decoration, outdoor leisure and wild-bird/wild-life items. The company is a family business and in 2023 is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It issues every year in January around 1 million printed catalogues (the 2023 edition is 126 pages) and also sells all products via its online store. Its manufacturing base, administration offices and warehousing extend over more than 16,000m2 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.

GARDEN & PET BUYERS

BRACK.CHwww.brack.ch

BRACK.CH is part of the privately-owned Swiss online retail group Competec, which had sales of CHF1.17 billion in 2022, 1.2 million private and business customers and over 1,250 staff. Competec’s head-office is in Mägenwil and its 75,000m2 state-of-the-art e-commerce logistics centre in Willisau. The company buys and holds at Willisau a range of 250,000 items from 4,700 manufacturers and ships 3.9 million packages a year. The logistics centre alone employs over 630 staff and uses 400 robots.

BRACK.CH was founded in 1994. It is the largest independent B2C online shop in Switzerland, and supplies customers in its home market and Liechtenstein. BRACK.CH offers a broad spectrum of products: IT & Multimedia, Home & Living, Supermarket & Drugstore, Family & Baby, DIY & Hobby as well as Sport & Leisure. The garden range includes practical accessories, tools and irrigation, decoration & lighting, furniture & bbqs. The pet range covers food, care, toys and accessories for dogs, cats, rodents, fish and reptiles – along with accessories for wild-birds and other garden creatures. Competec also operates a number of other online stores including ‘BRACK.CH Business’ for professionals, Alltron (IT, telecoms, security), DayDeal (themed specials), Jamei (home & living) and MEDiDOR (healthcare).

The garden and pet buyers are both taking part in our event. They are looking for new, complementary items to add to the BRACK.CH B2C range. The garden buyer is open to all kinds of items suitable for online sale. The pet buyer is interested in food, equipment and accessories for all types of pet.

PET BUYERS

Ranzijn Tuin & Dier www.ranzijn.nl

Ranzijn is a Dutch chain of 15 wholly-owned garden and pet centres, all but one of which includes a veterinary clinic, grooming parlour and dog-wash. There is also an online shop. Whilst most of the stores are large format (the biggest in Alkmaar being 14,500m2), Ranzijn has recently started developing a smaller 1,500m2 city store concept too. The total sales area is 165,000m2. Ranzijn has recently acquired the ‘Rebel’ garden centre in Huizen. It is currently being remodeled and modernised and will open as the 16th Ranzijn Tuin & Dier in March 2024.

Ranzijn has a much greater emphasis on pet than is the case in most UK garden centres; pet sales contribute around 50% of Ranzijn’s overall turnover. Ranzijn’s pet sections stock a broad range of up to 8,000 items, including food, pet care and accessories for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. The focus is on offering both a broad and an in-depth range to differentiate Ranzijn from its competitors.

Two pet buyers are taking part from Ranzijn. They are looking for new, innovative items for all kinds of pets, along with wild bird products. They are particularly interested in expanding their rodent, aquatics and caged bird sections. For rodents, they are looking for food, accessories and bedding – and also any Christmas present type items. They are also interested in suppliers of dog and/or cat food that are prepared to give them exclusivity for the Dutch market. Other specific requests include everyday purchases for horses (ie not saddles), and accessories to prevent boredom in chickens. Sustainability and durability are important – brands should have a story behind them. The buyers are purchasing for Ranzijn’s vet clinics as well as for the stores.

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!

COST

If you would like to have a meeting with one or more of the buyers taking part in our Meet the Buyer event on 18 October, please complete the application form and email to eleanor@gardenex.com.  Gardenex will send a list of all applicants to the buyers who will select those they wish to meet.  We will then confirm to you whether or not your application has been successful.

Successful applicants will be allocated 25 minute one-to-one, private meetings with the buyer/s.  This is a great opportunity to introduce and present your company, products and USPs.  Most suppliers bring samples.

The cost is shown below:

Rates + VAT Member Non-Member
First meeting £99 £199
Subsequent meeting/s £89 £189

 

On receipt of the application form and confirmation from the buyer/s that they 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!

APPLICATION FORM

If you would like to take part in our Meet the Buyer event on Wednesday, 18 October, please complete the application form  and return it to Eleanor Wigram on eleanor@gardenex.com as soon as possible.

If you would like any further information, please contact Eleanor by email or tel: 01959 587 443 / 01959 565995.

Thank you!