On the 15th February 2022, Robert Hall, Chairman, and David Coton, Partner at GardenSite LLP hosted a meeting with Chris Napier, Managing Director of the Juliana Group UK, along with David Boswell Juliana's UK Sales Director.

The meeting, held at GardenSite's HQ, included discussions about the pressures faced during the previous two years throughout the Covid pandemic. Most notably supply and demand during a time when more customers were spending increased periods of time in their gardens, and therefore adding improvements such as garden furniture, outdoor structures, and of course, greenhouses to their outdoor spaces.

The future of the greenhouse market post-pandemic was also a big topic during the discussion, along with the ongoing objectives of the Juliana Group for the peak season ahead.

Increased demand can bring new concerns

It is a sector that has experienced strong growth during the pandemic as Britons were encouraged to garden in the fresh air and grow some of their own fresh food. Even though the pandemic started to bite in the first quarter of 2020, when greenhouse suppliers would traditionally have high stock levels for the coming growing season, they could not have anticipated the stampede of demand that was to come.

Chris’ appointment to the Juliana Group came in May 2021 when lead times for product deliveries to customers had spiralled, out-of-stock lines were fast becoming a major issue as products could not be crafted or imported quick enough compared to sales volume. Customers were, on occasions having to wait up to 6 months for their deliveries, due to the adverse effects that Covid brought with it.

Freight charges were also becoming an increasingly worrying concern, moving faster than Usain Bolt, both for the cost of transit for importing products into the UK and for delivery carriers delivering garden products to customers within England, Wales, and Scotland.

With direct contact to the Danish arm of the Juliana Group and the extensive knowledge of the UK greenhouse marketplace that David Boswell has, Chris has not only been fighting the inevitable but re-structuring processes on the ground to accommodate the massive stock increase and improving distribution methods to ensure a smoother year ahead for the 2022 season.

Look and feel before you invest in a greenhouse

During the meeting, Chris and David noted that they were keen on putting in additional aid for their retailers and customers. Notably by supporting with promotional campaigns to help in encouraging customers back into many of the leading garden centers that display and retail the extensive range of Halls-branded greenhouses, the most popular selling aluminium greenhouse range in the UK, a brand produced by the Juliana Group.

GardenSite LLP is proud to display multiple Halls greenhouses within our Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands show site, including differing sizes from the Halls popular greenhouse range as well as the Halls Cotswold range. Open 7 days a week, GardenSite's showroom is open Monday to Sunday, so for any customers looking to see and feel a greenhouse from the Halls brand before purchasing, we would love to offer our assistance to you.

Delivery to customers

The greenhouse industry in general still has supply problems, but Juliana's brand continues to be readily available and is now back to pre-covid lead times, with the majority of models available to be delivered within 4 weeks, down dramatically from the previous 25-week delivery timeframe quoted during mid-Covid. A real positive to potential new grow your own enthusiasts in 2022!

We all live in the real world and there are still ongoing issues with the supply of products in general, whether that be food and drink to home furniture and electronics. But it's clear to see that the Juliana Group has overcome their matters of concern during the harsh environment of Covid, and is on track to be a quicker, better option for customers with their extensive selection of growing products.

Conclusion

If you are planning on buying a hobby greenhouse for the season, then now is the time to purchase, allowing you to reap the obvious benefits of fresh, home-grown plants, fruits, and veg over the year to come.