Mary Portas OBE will be speaking about retail at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) 2026 annual conference, which will take place at Carden Park Hotel near Chester in Cheshire, on January 25 and January 28.
The businesswoman, broadcaster, author and activist was awarded an OBE in the 2024 King’s New Year Honours’ list for her services to business, broadcasting and charity.
GCA chairman elect and operations director of Haskins Garden Centres Ben Harrison, who is organising the conference with GCA CEO Peter Burks, said: “Aged 30, Mary became a board member at Harvey Nichols, before founding her own retail consultancy. She has since worked with some of the biggest names in global retail, and we’re very excited she has agreed to be one of our keynote speakers for our 2026 conference. We’re also delighted that our associate member Evergreen Garden Care has very generously agreed to sponsor Mary for our event.
“Her BBC series ‘Mary Queen of Shops’ premiered in 2007 and she has presented on television and radio for the BBC and Channel 4 ever since. In 2009, she partnered with Save The Children to reinvent charity shops. To date, the 26 Mary’s Living & Giving shops nationwide have raised more than £30 million for charity. She also conducted a review of the future for high streets for the British government in 2011.”
Mary is also the author of three books: ‘Shop Girl: A Memoir’, ‘Work Like A Woman: A Manifesto For Change’ and ’Rebuild: How to thrive in the new Kindness Economy’.
Peter commented: “Our 2026 conference explores the theme of ‘Growing a Better Future’ with a focus on profitability, sustainability and innovation in the industry, so Mary will fit in brilliantly.”
As co-chair of the Better Business Act, Mary heads a coalition of businesses calling for a change in the law to ensure UK companies align their interests with those of wider society and the environment.
In addition to presenting two series of ‘Portas: On Style’ for BBC Radio 4, Mary is also a podcaster. In her latest series entitled ‘Beautiful Misfits’ she interviews fellow changemakers taking the imaginative leap to create a better world. Most recently, Mary took on the government with Kevin McCloud and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in The Great Climate Fight on Channel 4.
Peter added: “To find out more and book tickets, please go to the conference pages on our website members’ section or via https://gca.digitickets.co.uk/. There is also a dedicated email conference@gca.org.uk for any queries anyone may have. If non-members would like to join us, so they can attend, please email info@gca.org.uk.”
The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the Association helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability. For further information and to book tickets for the 2026 GCA Conference, visit www.gca.org.uk
