This summer Ridgeons, the East of England’s largest independent timber and builders’ merchants, has had a focus on drawing in customers with its new landscaping displays.
The 11mx41m display at their Sudbury branch has had a number of improvements to it over the years, but this year, it was transformed with a brand-new design. Local garden designer Rebecca Wallman helped design the new Hard Landscaping display, and Plantsmith Design and Horticulture, based in Clacton-on-Sea, assisted with the planting on the display.
Ridgeons Sudbury also chose the award-winning Tendring-based Planet 14 landscapes for installation of their hard landscaping.
Construction of the display took five months to complete, but wasn’t without challenges. ‘The Beast from the East’ heavily impacted upon the construction, while the display area was also on a slight slope between the branch and a warehouse. “We had to overcome the slope and try to incorporate this restriction as much as possible, whilst also making sure that the display was approachable from three entrances,” explained Phil Yearling, Sudbury branch manager. “We’ve recognised customer demand for artificial grass, so we have this on display with products from Namgrass, while modern, high-end fencing has been supplied by Grange.”
Along with its expanded range on display, Ridgeons carries nearly £2,000,000 worth of stock within its branch network. “With the increases that we have seen in stocked product and sales, and we expect there to be around £150,000-£200,000 of additional stock value,” added Mr Yearling. The landscaping display has boosted sales in this category. In its first month after completion, sales in both Marshalls and Stonemarket products saw an increase of 25%.
Mr Yearling added: “With the huge investment put into the display, the breadth of product, quality of product, the real care and attention put into the installation and the pocket garden design that really brings the product to life for the customer are the things that really make the Sudbury display stand out from the crowd.”
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