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The Garden Centre Association |
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“A resource which is available to improve members' businesses by enabling communication, raising standards and assisting members to promote themselves.” |
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What it takes to become a Garden Centre Member
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| Applicants must own or operate one or more independent garden centres and be a member of the Horticultural Trades Association. The company needs to have been trading for at least 12 months and preferably sponsored by two existing GCA members. The garden centre will be subjected to a standards inspection by an independent consultant before being accepted as a full member. |
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Benefits
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- A listing on this website with links to your website
- Attractive credit card rates specially negotiated on your behalf
- Exclusive offers on products and services from some of our 180 Associate members
- Participation in Area Group meetings where like minded garden centre owners/managers share trading figures and ideas in an open and friendly atmosphere
- A chance to attend our Winter Conference, considered to be the most important in the industry calendar
- The annual standards audit, an invaluable motivational management tool
- GCA internet user group where you can share information and be kept up to date with current issues
- Automatic membership of the Forum for Private Business
- Free access to GardenForum - the industry's e-newsletter
- Free inclusion on in-car satellite navagation systems
- Take part in all our national competitions which have great PR potential
- Newsletters, Directory of Members and GCA Yearbook
- Monthly Barometer of Trade Report – a way of benchmarking your performance with your peers
- Summer workshops and study tours around the country and abroad
When you join the Association you will become part of more than just another trade association. You will be a member of a group of independent garden centres who believe there is more to be achieved by co-operation and working together than an individual centre can achieve by operating alone. |
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| Associate Membership |
You may like to consider joining the GCA as an associate member. Applications are welcome from any company who manufactures / supplies the garden centre industry and is interested in reaching over 200 of the UK & Northern Ireland ‘s leading garden centres. Minimum entry requirements are a twelve month history of dealing with at least two GCA members. |
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Benefits your company will receive
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- The chance to attend and exhibit at the highly successful GCA annual conference which attracts over 400 delegates. The Conference is a 3-day event in January designed to meet the needs of the owners and senior management of member centres and related businesses. This provides excellent networking opportunities in an informal setting
- A chance to join the summer workshops and study tours around the country and abroad
- A free entry in the 'Directory of Members' - available only to members
- A free listing in The Garden Centre Yearbook, the GCA annual handbook distributed to 2,000 companies within the industry
- A minimum of four mailings per year sent out on your behalf and at no cost to you. This is a great opportunity to send out advertising material / special offers to garden centre members
- Membership lists
- A free entry listing in the GCA website with a link to your own website
- Access to a monthly Barometer of Trade report which highlights tradng perfomance by category
When you join the GCA you will become part of more than just another trade association. You will be a member of a group of independent garden centres and suppliers who are actively encouraged to be involved in the Association's activities whose main function is to help improve members' businesses
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