Green alone is not enough

Fresh food at garden centres - many garden centre operators have long since moved this topic on from the experimental phase and have now given it a fixed place in their assortment. The Dutch trader Kees van der Avoird now grants this assortment range a very prominent presentation in his Intratuin garden centre in Breda.
It has had a new entrance hall with 1 000 m² surface area built by the Dutch greenhouse builders Thermoflor, in which a generous food hall has found room - a premiere for Intratuin. A stationary branch of the consignor Smaak offers locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables here. The meat comes from a local farmer, who proceses beef from France. The fact that, for example, fruit and vegetable traders could be gained as employees means that advisory expertise is also ensured.
"Green is the core business," admits owner Kees van der Avoird, "but green alone is not enough to attract clients any more." But the food range is only one aspect of what he is concerned with: everything is aimed towards communicating with customers in the new entrance hall.
For example, there is also a coffee corner and a fresh flower shop including a long florists' counter where the bouquets are arranged and bound. The fact that the ten meter high hall provides an additional 500 m² upper floor means that the entrance area also has enough space for the information desk, cash desks and offices.

And of course, it is no coincidence that the food range has been located to this exposed area, of all places. "The entrance is one of the most important spaces in your retail building," explains Ben Boon, sales director of the greenhouse specialists Thermoflor. "Since all customers pass it twice on their way: when they are coming in and when they are leaving the garden centre."
At the trade fair Garden Retail Experience on 7 and 8 February in Nieuwegein, it became clear to those responsible at Thermoflor, that the topic of fresh food had touched a nerve in the garden centre scene. This is where, together with their project partners, they introduced the new entrance concept for Intratuin garden centres which was implemented in Breda for the first time: the shop layout and the fittings came from the De Haan Group, the design came from the architect's office Breddels. "I think we managed to inspire a lot…