The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is to hold another of its popular face-to-face Meet The Buyer days, with garden centre group Dobbies. The event, which is entitled Innovation Day, takes place from 9am until 5pm on Thursday November 21 at Dobbies Garden Centre, Atherstone, Cross Lane Farm, Nuneaton Road, Atherstone, CV9 1RF.
Dobbies, which is celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2025, is keen to see both new and existing suppliers to develop ranges and extend the offer for the garden centre group’s loyal customer base. Billed as the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies is headquartered near Edinburgh and has 77 stores, including six little dobbies
New products are sought across all categories and there is also an opportunity for new promotional and seasonal lines. The overall emphasis is very much on innovation in all cases.
All supplier registrations are subject to approval by the Dobbies buyer, and appointments will be confirmed by the BHETA team
Suppliers in the following sectors are especially encouraged to attend: home décor, spa, accessories, outdoor living, Christmas, tableware, cookshop, utility, small domestic appliances, pet and bird, gardening, impulse and promotional products, toys, and books. The Dobbies team on the day will comprise commercial director Andy Hannan, the head of trading, and buyers representing all these product categories.
Suppliers can bring two people and will be allocated a 20-minute meeting with the relevant buyer. Multiple appointments can be booked if suppliers have products relevant for different categories.
All supplier registrations are subject to approval by the Dobbies buyer, and appointments will be confirmed by the BHETA team. There is a cost of £89+VAT for BHETA members, £199+VAT for non-members attending their first BHETA Meet The Buyer day, or £249+VAT for non-members who have attended a previous such event.
The closing date for registration applications is November 14, and registration can be made via the BHETA website or by contacting Sam in BHETA Member Services on sa@bheta.co.uk. Payment by non-members must be received no later than November 15.
BHETA DIY & gardening sector manager Steve Edwards commented: “The chance to speak directly to the Dobbies buying team is obviously a great opportunity, and we are expecting an excellent turnout, so I strongly recommend applying for registration as soon as possible.”
More details of BHETA’s events programme, which includes webinars, Meet The Buyer events and networking forums with leading retailers can be found on the BHETA website. www.bheta.co.uk
