Gtgtgt
CASE
2
Case date 2002
Hogsmeadow Garden Centre
Alan Betts
Don Dursley spread his arms widely as he surveyed his garden centre.
‘Of course the whole market for leisure products and services, especially garden-related products, has been expanding over the last few years. Even so, we have been particularly successful. Partly this is because we are conveniently located, but it is also because we have developed a reputation for excellent service. Customers like coming to us for advice. We have also been successful in attracting some of the ‘personality gardeners’ from television to make special appearances. My main ambition now is to fully develop all of our twelve hectares to make the centre a place people will want to visit in its own right. I envisage the centre developing into almost a mini gardening theme park with special gardens, beautiful grounds and special events.’
Hogsmeadow is a large village situated in the Cotswolds, a popular tourist area of the UK. It has an interesting range of shops and restaurants, mainly catering for the tourist trade. About half a mile outside the village is the Hogsmeadow Garden Centre. The garden centre is served by a good network of main roads but is inaccessible by public transport. Growth over the last five years has been dramatic and the garden centre now sells many other goods as well as gardening requisites. It also has a restaurant. It is open seven days a week, only closing on Christmas Day. Its opening hours are Monday– Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year round.
● Outside the centre
The centre has a large car park which can accommodate about 350 cars. Outside the entrance a map indicates the various areas in the garden centre. Most customers walk round the grounds before making their purchases. The length of time people spend in the centre varies but, according to a recent study, averages 53 minutes during the week and 73 minutes at weekends. The same study shows the extent
2
Case date 2002
Hogsmeadow Garden Centre
Alan Betts
Don Dursley spread his arms widely as he surveyed his garden centre.
‘Of course the whole market for leisure products and services, especially garden-related products, has been expanding over the last few years. Even so, we have been particularly successful. Partly this is because we are conveniently located, but it is also because we have developed a reputation for excellent service. Customers like coming to us for advice. We have also been successful in attracting some of the ‘personality gardeners’ from television to make special appearances. My main ambition now is to fully develop all of our twelve hectares to make the centre a place people will want to visit in its own right. I envisage the centre developing into almost a mini gardening theme park with special gardens, beautiful grounds and special events.’
Hogsmeadow is a large village situated in the Cotswolds, a popular tourist area of the UK. It has an interesting range of shops and restaurants, mainly catering for the tourist trade. About half a mile outside the village is the Hogsmeadow Garden Centre. The garden centre is served by a good network of main roads but is inaccessible by public transport. Growth over the last five years has been dramatic and the garden centre now sells many other goods as well as gardening requisites. It also has a restaurant. It is open seven days a week, only closing on Christmas Day. Its opening hours are Monday– Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year round.
● Outside the centre
The centre has a large car park which can accommodate about 350 cars. Outside the entrance a map indicates the various areas in the garden centre. Most customers walk round the grounds before making their purchases. The length of time people spend in the centre varies but, according to a recent study, averages 53 minutes during the week and 73 minutes at weekends. The same study shows the extent