Christmas in a garden centre

The above, plus kids I gusss. Most of them combine it with a Santa's grotto. We don't have kids but everyone of our friends that do seem to have annual trips to them all.

Just diversification I guess as they all hammer stuff like Halloween too, makes sense I guess as garden centres have a lot less to sell in autumn and winter so Halloween and Christmas gives them a good income stream in the quiet months

They're all quite keen on food and snacks that appear high end /artisan but is pretty crappy
 
I listened to an owner of a garden centre being interviewed in September and she was saying they were displaying their Christmas stock due to having a poor summer turnover. She was hoping their Christmas items would improve the foot fall and sales.

The country was having an Indian summer at the time and they had Christmas decorations on display.

A lot of it is similar to what you can get in B & M, etc. for half the price.
 
Muttley said:
I think that's a fail!

Back in the day me and by brothers used to visit Santa in Debenham's in Stockton. We usually like to have a trip out to Raby Castle for some (over priced) Christmas tat hot chocolate, fruit cake and wensleydale cheese and a walk in the grounds.

View attachment 67543
This from a few years ago.
Click to expand...
I still look back fondly on visiting Santa's Grotto at Upton's on Linthorpe Rd and receiving a Treasure Island hard backed book. I love the story of Treasure Island and recently read it again. I think it all stems from this visit.

My mum always celebrated Christmas and went over the top with food and presents, my wife is the same. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of tat.
 
Muttley said:
I think that's a fail!

Back in the day me and by brothers used to visit Santa in Debenham's in Stockton. We usually like to have a trip out to Raby Castle for some (over priced) Christmas tat hot chocolate, fruit cake and wensleydale cheese and a walk in the grounds.

View attachment 67543
This from a few years ago.
Click to expand...
Raby Castle is awesome, we went last year for the first time.

Christmas days out/experiences are certainly not just down to women, but the vast majority of the tat sold in shops is, as is the vast majority of autumnal pre-Christmas 'hype'.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I listened to an owner of a garden centre being interviewed in September and she was saying they were displaying their Christmas stock due to having a poor summer turnover. She was hoping their Christmas items would improve the foot fall and sales.

The country was having an Indian summer at the time and they had Christmas decorations on display.

A lot of it is similar to what you can get in B & M, etc. for half the price.
Click to expand...
No qualms about the garden centres doing this. They have a seasonal business and fully understand why they try and make the most of their large retail space in the Winter patronised by retired people during the week who love Xmas because they are running out of them lets face it.
 
My mates wife buys so much Christmas stuff they've got 5 Christmas trees and house decorations include 3 life sized nutcrackers and about 8 million various other sizes, and it's all out early November.

She's probably keeping a few of these centres open 😂
 
Cardiffdaffs said:
No qualms about the garden centres doing this. They have a seasonal business and fully understand why they try and make the most of their large retail space in the Winter patronised by retired people during the week who love Xmas because they are running out of them lets face it.
Click to expand...
Sad observation but you’re right.
 
My Mam used to be a store detective in the late 70's and very early 80s and worked in various stores across Teesside. One Saturday before Christmas she was working in Uptons in the Boro. The queue for Santa's grotto was massive, and some kids lobbed a stink bomb into the grotto, quickly followed by Santa stumbling out of his Grotto shouting and swearing loudly in front of hundreds of Mams and Kids !!
 
Muttley said:
I think that's a fail!

Back in the day me and by brothers used to visit Santa in Debenham's in Stockton. We usually like to have a trip out to Raby Castle for some (over priced) Christmas tat hot chocolate, fruit cake and wensleydale cheese and a walk in the grounds.

View attachment 67543
This from a few years ago.
Click to expand...
That sheep looks like it's choosing which deer to murder and eat.
 
We went to Strikes 2 years ago and they had some singing reindeer display. I had to drag my wife away after 30 minutes, we bought nothing as it was over priced, but she had a great time watching reindeer puppets singing.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top