Influential buyers from a German garden and pet product mail order company and online shop, a Polish importer and distributor of garden items as well as buyers from a leading wholesaler/distributor of garden and horticultural products across the Baltic States are to meet with British suppliers in the latest ‘Meet the International Buyers’ event organised by the Gardenex and PetQuip associations.  The Federation is also in contact with other overseas buyers who are considering attending.

The event will take place at the Federation’s head office in Brasted, Kent on 7 June 2018, and British suppliers who wish to present their product ranges in one-to-one meetings with buyers are invited to contact the Federation.

The German company taking part in the event usually sources from more than half the companies seen during the ’Meet the International Buyers’ events, so is an important contact for companies looking to market their garden innovations in Europe’s largest market for garden products.  The two buyers from the company will be looking for innovative, practical and decorative garden products, particularly those not already available on the German market.  Nature-friendly plants and products such as rabbit hutches, chicken-houses, wild bird products and items related to pets being outside in the garden will be of particular interest to the buyers.  The company distributes thousands of comprehensive mail order catalogues each year, offering seeds and plants, practical garden accessories and garden decoration, and is happy to include UK companies that are new to exporting.

The Polish buyer is from an importer/distributor of hobby greenhouses sourced from the UK.  The company has over 20 years’ experience in greenhouse sales, supplying garden centre retailers.  It has also acted as an importer/distributor supplying farmers with plant protection, fertiliser, feed and tools.  In addition, the company operates three on-line shops selling to end-users.  One of the shops offers a broad range of garden items from boots and gloves to watering equipment, pest control and bird food, while the others cover hobby greenhouses and plants.  The company also operates six retail garden centres/shops and two wholesale outlets.  At the 7 June event, the owner/buyer is looking for new and interesting products for distribution to garden centres and for online sales.

The two buyers from the Baltic States are from a leading wholesaler/distributor of garden and horticultural products.  The company was founded originally in 1995 as a wholesaler of garden and horticultural products to the Estonian market and the owners attended the Federation’s ’Meet the International Buyers’ events in 2010 and 2012.  In addition to acting as a wholesaler, the company has an e-shop which offers a wide range of practical accessories for gardens, balconies and indoor gardening. Its main customers are garden centres and garden shops, DIY stores, supermarkets, landscapers/garden designers as well as professional growers. 

The company offers a broad selection of garden and horticultural products and items of particular interest are: 

• Products for landscapers (decorative containers and hanging baskets, flower towers).

• Roof-top gardening and related products

• Technical gardening tools

• Hobby greenhouses, greenhouse shelving and other greenhouse accessories

• Outdoor children’s playground items (climbing ladder, climbing rope etc)

• Apple collection baskets with shoulder belts/harness

• Beekeeping for hobby and professional market

• Fruit-picking products

To ensure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to apply for 25 minute one-to-one meetings with any of the buyers on 7 June, or to find out more about future ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events for both the garden and PetQuip, please email Katie-Mai Smith on katie-mai@gardenex.com or telephone 01959 565995 as soon as possible as meeting slots fill up quickly.

Gardenex is the trade association that works on behalf of British companies to help its members increase sales worldwide.

tel:  +44 (0) 44 1959 565995   or   fax:  +44 (0) 1959 565885