Selfridges launches garden centres with fashion twist

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 22, 2021

Gardens are the new black, it seems and to reflect the trend, Selfridges has launched garden centres at a number of its stores. But they’re not just any old garden centres as it’s bringing a distinctive, Selfridges-style and fashion-focused twist to the category "for the true avant-gardener".

Garden centres have opened in the Oxford Street branch, in Manchester and Birmingham with products on sale including an exclusive themed clothing offer from Prada, a clothing range inspired by rock band The Grateful Dead, as well as the more usual items such as own-brand compost, plants and garden gnomes.

It’s part of a 2021 theme at the chain called Good Nature and includes a ‘potting shed’ with experts on-site, workshops and events running from June 25 to July 11.

Horticulture as an activity and related sales boomed during the pandemic with reports of an extra 3 million gardeners entering the segment in 2020, almost half of them aged under 45. Earlier this year mid-market fashion-to-lifestyle retailer Joules reflected that with the purchase of The Garden Trading Company Limited, a digitally-led retailer of home and garden products “inspired by the British countryside and lifestyle trends”.

The fact that Selfridges also sees a growth opportunity here underlines the appeal of the activity across price segments. It also perhaps reflects a focus on the domestic shopper rather than international tourists.

“A garden centre is evocative but familiar, and has provided rich inspiration for our teams, literally and creatively,” said Selfridges creative director Hannah Emslie. “We know our customers are more interested in gardening and greening than they ever have been. And so we are playing with the idea by bringing the essentials of a typical garden centre to our stores.”