Deco-Pak Jan 2022
2021 was a crazy year. With the ongoing pandemic placing more pressure than ever on the supply chain and gardening seeing its popularity continue to soar, it was the perfect storm for the garden retail sector. Recognising this, Deco-Pak – the leading outdoor landscaping supplier – has created its ‘super six’; six key themes that can help retailers to optimise sales throughout 2022 and beyond. Here Deco-Pak Director, Craig Hall, tells us more.
“Our six themes have been identified to best reflect the challenges and opportunities that garden retailers are facing, as well as highlighting the emerging consumer trends that are set to shape spend in the year ahead. In addition, these themes also showcase the ways that we, as a business, are creating products, sales support and content to help these retailers optimise further growth opportunities. It’s the least we can do for our retail customers, who have supported us phenomenally throughout the pandemic, which is why we wanted to give something back and help them navigate this new normal.”
Deco-Pak’s ‘super six’
- Sustainability
The pandemic has inevitably accelerated the growth in demand for sustainable and environmentally conscious products. With consumers actively seeking out brands and products that meet these exacting standards, retailers wanting to optimise this will find Deco-Pak’s EcoStone range the top choice for the landscaping category.
First launched in 2019, Deco-Pak’s EcoStone range raises the bar when it comes to sustainability, transforming waste materials once destined for landfill into decorative aggregates that meet the latest design trends. Glasglo are translucent tumbled glass stones, pot topper stones and cobbles made from recycled televisions; EcoStone Rubber Chippings give new life to former tyres, recycled into chippings that provide safe play areas and act as a weed-suppressing mulch, while EcoStone Sea Shells – sourced from a whelk processing factory, transform pots and terrariums when used as a dressing, and provide natural slug control in borders, too.
Offering improvements ahead of the 2022 season, Deco-Pak has introduced an uplift in colour tones and a new logo for the EcoStone range to represent the true eco-nature of the product and packaging. Made with up to 60% of recycled material, all EcoStone bags will have a craft paper look to really set it apart from the other categories and offer a more authentic look.
The range has also been expanded to include Glasglo chippings in a larger bag size.
- Mindfulness
The events of the last few years have thrown the spotlight on the importance of protecting our mental health, with the practice of mindfulness activities becoming more mainstream. More importantly for our sector, gardening has also become recognised for its positive mental and physical wellbeing properties, with many turning to their outdoor spaces as a retreat from the stresses of everyday life.
Water gardening is one area consumers are turning to as the benefits of being near water have been well documented. From lowering stress levels and anxiety, to boosting physical and psychological wellbeing, water gardening is a great way to add interest and relaxing sounds to garden spaces, no matter their size.Deco-Pak’s water feature collection –extended for the 2022 season - will help retailers to raise the bar when it comes to staging high impact displays of instant aquatics. Featuring many ‘plug and play’ options, the complete offering is supported by informative and inspirational point of sale to help appeal to time-pressed consumers who want to introduce the tranquil, calming effect of water to gardens and demand products that can be quickly installed and instantly spurred into action.
- Family & Community
Family and friends has always been important, but never more so than a time when we are actively being kept apart. Whether relatives, friends or the wider community, we have all reached for those we hold dear, and this is expected to increase in the year ahead as we look to undertake activities that bring us together.
With Deco-Pak’s Toy Town range – which includes the Greenfingers Play Pit Sand, helping to raise funds for the children’s hospice garden charity – retailers can offer something that will see everyone from kids to parents enjoy some creative play in the garden throughout 2022. From Rockin’ Pebbles and Pens to Play Sand, this offering is designed to increase impulse and gifting sales, whilst driving loyalty amongst parents with young children, as well as craft enthusiasts.
- Growth
As gardening continues to grow in popularity, business confidence is increasing in turn. One area that is seeing an increase in consumer spend is home and garden improvement, especially easy outdoor DIY projects. To support this expected growth, Deco-Pak is expanding its ranges with inspirational imagery and point of sale; content which the team believe will appeal to a wide range of consumer demographics no matter their previous DIY experience.
To support this growth opportunity even further, Deco-Pak’s dedicated sales team will also be kept abreast of all the latest market trends and issues to ensure they can support retail customers with first-hand information when it is needed most.
- Inspiration
The pandemic has brought new gardeners to the market, including many from the ‘Instagram generation’. These buyers, who are used to consuming content quickly, often make snap purchasing decisions based on visual triggers, which is why Deco-Pak has introduced new ‘Get the Look’ merchandising solutions. Designed to showcase how products can be easily used to maximum effect with minimum effort, these ‘Get the Look’ merchandisers have the potential to drive up the average basket spend and build consumer confidence.
- Efficiency
Growing demand has placed unprecedented pressure on the supply chain, however Deco-Pak has taken steps to strengthen its relationships with supply partners with a special focus on key lines. In doing so, Deco-Pak is confident that it can deliver on its promise to maintain full availability of core lines for 12 months of the year.
The company has also invested in additional filling lines, enabling the team to be more flexible and respond quickly to changing demand patterns.
Finally, the Deco-Pak site in Hipperholme, West Yorkshire has undergone a major reorganisation, which has opened up the site to significant expansion. Upwards of 40% more stock can now be held onsite, meaning more lines are ready and onsite for when they are needed.
Find out more
To find out more about Deco-Pak’s leading product portfolio please visit www.deco-pak.co.uk or call 01422 204 394.
ENDS
For editors
Deco-Pak is a family run decorative aggregates, outdoor play and wild birdfeeder and nestbox supplier. It supplies traditional garden centres, DIY and toy retailers all over the UK. Their packing and distribution facility is based in Brighouse, near Halifax in West Yorkshire. 90% of its decorative aggregate products are sourced in the UK, and all of its plastic and card packaging is fully recyclable where facilities exist.