Vicky Nuttall is retiring from her role as Graden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) director this spring, after 12 years in the role. GIMA’s annual big day conference event on 26 March is about the future of the supply chain and will include panels on sales agents versus employed staff, logistics, marketplace and Yorkshire Garden Centres’ Mark Farnsworth.
Talking to Matthew Appleby on the HortWeek Podcast, Nuttall says the biggest changes at GIMA since she started there 12 years ago include the association taking on the Garden Press Event in 2016. Nuttall says she was really pleased to add the event, alongside the HTA, to its offer.
Covid in 2020 saw trade associations “come to the fore”, and GIMA joining the Confederation of British Industry in 2019 proved to be a good decision because it was close to Government, she says. Bringing trade associations closer together and growing the membership, helped by Tony Kersey (ex-Homebase), has helped that.
Nuttall says she seeks influencers online and “they find us”, and they generate content from the Garden Press Event. She adds that GIMA manages who comes through the door so only people who are trying to make a living get in.
GIMA has taken on some members from the defunct Gardenex export organisation and will manage its international lounge at Glee in September.
There is uncertainty about the weather so far in 2026 from retailers, after a good Christmas, Nuttall observes. “Everything is in place for a good 2026 season, but the most important factor is the weather,” she maintains: “It’s tough out there for some of the smaller businesses. That might be a reflection of what some of the more established brands are doing.”
The biggest challenges looking ahead include increased employment taxes, regulations such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging eating away at margins and some smaller garden centres coming to the point where they think they cannot be bothered, and we are seeing consolidation, as well as some in the supply side. She advises using professionals to monitor reporting of EPR.
“It’s tough for smaller or single-product suppliers to get a foot in the door. There are fewer buying points and buying groups and chains are getting stronger, and some bigger suppliers are getting more dominant.”
Marketplace retailing gives more opportunity, but has a knock-on effect for the retail landscape, especially for DIY and high street stores.
More “accessible and easy” wellness and well-being hobbies than gardening are getting more popular.
Nuttall says the organisation is well-placed placed for the future.
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