How getting kids gardening is the next big thing for garden retailers
Brookes & Co
Ask almost any parent and they’re sure to tell you of the battles they face when persuading the kids to put down the iPad and head for the great outdoors (or, in most cases, just those few steps into the garden).
However, with the health and wellbeing benefits attached to the garden being hard to ignore, it comes as no surprise that more and more of us are hoping to turf our little ones off the sofa and onto the top soil!
Fortunately, it seems we’re making progress in the struggle against the TV screen; with GIMA reporting an increase in sales of outdoor play products for children, we’re taking a look at how garden retailers can appeal to the newest kids on the block and get our kids gardening.
The latest trend The trend to get children to spend more time outdoors and less time in front of the TV and tablet screens is something that garden retailers can help facilitate, and there are a number of ways this can be done. And no, it doesn’t require a nationwide ban on gadgets!
The exciting new Retail Lab at this year’s GLEE defined ‘Family’ as one of its key trends in products, in-store experience and merchandising for garden centres to drive consumer engagement.
Garden centres need to be user-friendly for the whole family, particularly accommodating the needs of children with the products they stock. Whilst you might want to keep the ankle biters away from your prized roses, products such as bug houses or novelty ‘grow your own’ kits are a great way of exploring the garden together.
It’s play time! For most kids – and perhaps a few adults too – the temptation of a giant trampoline, curly-wurly slide or even the satisfying ‘thwack’ of a swing ball set can be hard to resist (even when faced with the latest tech craze).
Our friends in the industry are reporting increasing sales of outdoor play equipment and Mintel again confirms our suspicions that there is a clear place in the market for garden leisure items aimed towards children.
It’s good to know that the humble Wendy House hasn’t disappeared from our back yards just yet! Not only that, research by the Royal Horticultural Society found that children perform better at school if they’re involved in gardening and develop a greater interest in healthy eating if they get to grow their own veg.
To get them interested in gardening, forward-thinking retailers are looking at how gardening can be presented as a form of play while also helping children to learn.
Tools and gardening equipment designed specifically for children help encourage them to get gardening, and kits where they can easily grow their own fruit and veggies help educate them while they play. Who knew growing broccoli could be so fun?
The next challenge is getting kids to eat it! Brookes clients get kids gardening Getting kids gardening is something we have been talking about for a while here at Brookes & Co, with many of our clients offering fabulous ranges of child-friendly garden and outdoor products.
Our friends at Treadstone have been seeing great success with their Peter Rabbit themed Outdoor Adventures range of outdoor clothing and garden sets, and this success is set to continue with the release of a Peter Rabbit animated film in 2018.
Fallen Fruits has also been encouraging kids to explore the garden and learn more about nature with its Kids in the Garden range, which includes a compass and an insect study box.
Even our lovely client V33 is encouraging children to get outside with a range of EASY colours outdoor furniture paint to add bright colours to garden furniture and make it child-friendly. Looks like Brookes & Co’s clients are real trend setters!