Our colleague Thierry Coeman tells us how “A Belgian pilot store points the way forward”.
Operating a garden centre has become more demanding than ever, whether as an independent entrepreneur, a franchisee or as part of a larger retail organisation. Economic pressure, unpredictable weather and changing customer expectations are forcing the sector to redefine its role. The renewed Aveve Store in Bornem, Belgium shows how a locally rooted garden centre can evolve into a centre of knowledge, advice and inspiration.
Future Challenges for Garden Centres
These challenges apply equally to independent operators, franchisees and stores embedded in broader retail organisations. The market has become more complex, customers more demanding and competition more diverse. Several factors, both visible and less visible, are having a growing impact on the successful operation of garden centres. Harsher economic conditions, geopolitical uncertainty and a sharper competitive environment are all putting pressure on turnover and profitability. Climate change is making the weather more erratic and less predictable. At the same time, the sociodemographic structure of society is changing, bringing new expectations around convenience, sustainability, safety, advice and experience.
The Real Meaning of Concept
As consumers increasingly display what could be described as a ‘fortress mentality’ when shopping, seeking reassurance, comfort, protection and a greater sense of control, garden centres need to be designed with sufficient space for hobbying and leisure, while strengthening the connection to nature.
They should become places that offer the right solutions as well as legitimate, nature-based mood boosters for personal well-being.
For many entrepreneurs in this specific retail segment, the future still often feels like a matter of reading tea leaves. The recurring question remains: which store concept will keep me relevant in the market?
That question cannot be answered around the boardroom table alone, nor can it be solved in isolation by a marketing department or a creative campaign. Relevance only emerges when vision, mission, strategy, store design, assortments, services and local anchoring are seamlessly aligned and mutually reinforcing.
Beyond Cherry-Picking
In the garden sector too, the post-Covid period increased the temptation to cherry-pick from other retail segments. Step by step, an average garden store became, all at once, a plant and flower shop, a pet store, a home store, a decoration outlet, a gift shop and even a hospitality destination. Some players deliberately positioned themselves as destination stores, often built around a coffee shop.
Yet the fundamental question too often remained unanswered: is this really the right direction?
Best in Class
The strongest formulas in the market show that success does not come from trying to be everything at once, but from consistently translating a clear and credible concept across the entire store footprint.
Kremer Naturtalente in Siegen, Germany, remains a strong reference in this respect.
The German formula rests on two solid foundations: a distinctive family DNA and one clear driving idea that can be felt throughout the store, bringing nature back into living spaces.
The result is a powerful concept, but not one that can simply be copied.
From Global Trends to Local Relevance
With considerable patience, I went to search for garden centres in the Netherlands (Intratuin), France (Botanic) and Belgium that were willing to give their store formula fresh momentum. That search led me to Aveve Bornem, www.aveve.be/nl, a city between Brussels and Antwerp.
In March of this year, one of their pilot stores opened there, through which parent company Arvesta aims to reposition itself more sharply in the market.
Jeremy Vanneste, Store Concept Manager at Aveve, explains how Arvesta has been developing its vision for a new generation of garden centres. “From the very beginning, that vision was driven by one key word: local. For Aveve, with its network of 190 stores, that is not a random choice,” he explains. Over the years, Aveve has built a finely meshed network of stores across the whole of the Belgian territory.
The word “concept” is often used rather loosely in retail, and certainly in the garden segment.
Jeremy Vanneste points precisely to the underlying pitfall: a new store concept must never be a cosmetic exercise.
That is why the Aveve formula was once again questioned in a structured way, returning to its core of Garden, Pets and Baking. These three words now form the guiding thread to the new concept.
With 190 garden centres and a high Net Promoter Score (NPS), Aveve clearly occupies a leadership position.
Yet the number of outlets represents more than scale alone. It is a distinctive strength: geographic proximity and, by definition, local anchoring. “It is precisely around that distinctive strength that we continued to shape the store formula of the future,” Jeremy emphasises.
Understanding the Local Customer
The process started with an in-depth socio-demographic analysis of the catchment area around Bornem, a low-lying river region marked by agriculture and nature. That local analysis became the basis for defining four customer segments:
- The Self-Assured Gardener: the more experienced, results-orientated garden enthusiast who acts from knowledge and confidence
- The Sustainable Shopper: the environmentally conscious consumer seeking harmony with nature and the immediate surroundings, with attention to biodiversity and responsible gardening
- The Explorer: the socially orientated garden lover who sees outdoor space primarily as an oasis of calm and relaxation, shared with friends and pets
- The Life Enjoyer: the convenience-driven fun shopper looking for simple solutions that make it easier to enjoy the garden and pets to the fullest
From these profiles, Aveve translated customer needs into a store layout that better responds to different expectations. Assortments, focal points and services were reconsidered and supported by digital and technological tools. As a result, the store now offers clear points of connection that speak directly to customer motivations: the vegetable garden, the greenhouse, the world of pets, baking pleasure and other recognisable lifestyle worlds.
Entry into the store takes place through a semi-open area that immediately places the seasonal experience centre stage. The offer is aligned with the renewed positioning, with specific attention for local growers and local raw materials. In this way, ‘local’ is not merely a communication message, but a visible and tangible part of the store experience.
The Store as a Centre of Knowledge and Inspiration
The test phase is currently running in four stores, located in Flanders: Bornem, Mechelen and Bree. Following a thorough evaluation in the autumn, Aveve will determine how, and to what extent, the renewed formula will be rolled out further.
The new generation of garden centres is thus evolving from a traditional store selling plants and garden products into centre of knowledge and advice, a place of inspiration, a carrier of local identity.
Key Learning
Aveve Bornem shows how relevance in the garden segment can be rebuilt: not by adding ever more categories, but by making sharper choices, standing closer to the customer and translating the company’s DNA more consistently onto the store floor.
Jeremy Vanneste summarises their 1,800sqm store concept succinctly from the customer’s perspective:
“Customers experience and live their visit to Aveve Bornem through two core values: pleasure and a tailor-made customer approach. That is the essence of garden retail”
