Launched at Glee 2014, Forest Garden’s newest product additions have been hitting the mark for retailers, helping them to drive sales and build long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty. Here, John Gomersall, sales and marketing director recaps what is on offer from the market-leading garden timber suppliers.
John Gomersall said: “Innovation is a driving force at Forest. We want to create products that enable gardeners of all abilities to enjoy the time they spend in their gardens, whilst providing beautiful and practical solutions for everything from storage to GYO projects. Our latest additions were all created to fit in not only with our existing portfolio, but also to address future garden trends – something we are already seeing retailers benefit from as consumers maximise the good weather to make improvements to their homes and gardens.”
Summerhouses
Five new additions to Forest’s popular functional summerhouse range were launched at Glee, designed to allow consumers to create a haven from which to enjoy their gardens.
Forest has enhanced its range to include both compact solutions and larger styles for gardens of all sizes. The Honeybourne and Blockley corner summerhouses use clever design features to create space and light, while the Winchcombe’s reverse apex roof provides a spacious interior. Traditional styling with classic proportions make the Stroud and Tetbury at home in every garden.
Each summerhouse comes with styrene glazing, hinged doors, fastenings, floors and felt roofs. All of Forest’s garden structures are hand crafted in the UK from FSC certified timber, and are dip treated or pressure treated for a longer life.
New range of modular furniture
Perfect for entertaining, and a great use of casual space, this range extension has been designed to accommodate and compliment the Refectory Table and Sleeper Bench sets launched at Glee in 2013.
Two new ‘coffee tables’, are joined by four new sleeper benches, each of which can be connected together to create a completely versatile and flexible seating arrangement. Planters can also be incorporated into the corners, creating an incredibly stylish and contemporary outdoor dining and relaxation space.
Each of these new products can be used in conjunction with the Refectory Table and Sleeper Benches making it a great add-on sales opportunity for those retailers that have already started profiting from stocking Forest’s first foray into garden entertainment products. What’s more, the ranges popularity has seen it voted as a finalist within the highly contested GIMA Awards 2015, Outdoor Leisure category.
New Logstores
Also joining Forest’s portfolio are the all new logstore designs. A key winter product, these new additions have been created to combine functionality with contemporary design, offering retailers something a little different for the 2015 season.
A completely new innovation, the Forest Pinnacle Log Store is for those that treat stacking logs as an art form! The new design has an apex shape that keeps logs together to form a triangle – a pleasing effect that is enhanced when combined with two or more. The practical aspect hasn’t been overlooked, as ready staked log piles can be easily transported from the shed into the home in one fell swoop. Retailers will find it easy to display these in store, as well as an inspiring addition to provide valuable autumn sales.
The new Forest Logstore with Flip-back roof offers greater protection from the elements thanks to its extra hinged roof, which folds up to allow for easier access, and can hold enough logs to last through the winter months. With a raised bottom and slatted sides, the product offers greater airflow, allowing logs to become drier and burn with greater heat and less smoke. Ideal for freeing up space in the garage or shed, these products are great additions to Forest’s comprehensive logstore range, all designed to efficiently store logs with style.
Slender Planters
Finally, Forest also introduced a new planter range. These new slender planters are been designed to offer a sleek profile, as well as being an ideal choice for those where space is at a premium. These new planters were first seen on Forest’s Hampton Court stand, receiving exceptionally positive reviews from a wide variety of visitors to the show. Following such positive feedback Forest has confirmed that further designs will be added to its 2016 range, with a sneak-peek of the new designs confirmed for Glee 2015.
John reassures customers that recent investments in the business means that it couldn’t be easier to secure stock of Forest’s newest products. He said: “Recent investment means that our delivery facility is now one of the most comprehensive and flexible on the market today. Our customers can now benefit from flexible quantities of stock, competitive minimum order values and regular weekly deliveries.
“Presently we deliver to over 3,000 UK retailers each week, and are seeing even more customers taking advantage of our ever increasing home delivery service. Our home delivery service has been designed to enable retailers to sell an extended range without having to take the stock in-store. Instead they can maximise sales through our dedicated in-store displays such as the award-winning Take Me ToThe Till merchandiser, as well as through literature and online as a result of our newly introduced digital assets (www.youtube.com/forestgarden1). We estimate that this year we will complete in excess of 200,000 home delivery orders this year, thanks to our new processes and systems which have been developed to integrate with our customers.”
Find out more
Forest products are available from garden centres and other retailers across the country, as well as online. Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber, they come flat packed where relevant for easy assembly. Home delivery and assembly is also available on selected items at a small extra charge. For local stockists, and more ideas for better garden storage, visit www.forestgarden.co.uk