Testimonial From Sharon Allan FD, Klondyke & Strikes Garden Centres

Prior to installing Corby & Fellas WinRetail system in 2015 Klondyke and Strikes Garden Centres didn’t have an EPoS or a Retail Management System. The company hadn’t had enough confidence in the available systems to make the considerable investment required in hardware, software, training and service across our 22 centres in Scotland, Northern England and Wales

However, in 2014 we decided that we would reconsider our position, so we began the process of evaluating systems to see if things had changed to our satisfaction. We invited several vendors to submit proposals; eventually coming up with shortlist of two candidates, both of whom were well established IT companies with experience of supplying systems to garden centres. We asked both organisations to visit our head office in Polmont to give in-depth presentations of their software, to answer questions from our senior management team and to explain how they could satisfy our needs.

Corby & Fellas impressed us on several counts:

1. They had installed systems into garden centres that had no previous experience of running a Retail Management system. This included Hillier Garden Centres, a long-established business with an ethos very similar to our own.
2. C&F design and develop their own software (WinRetail) and are not supplying a third‑party package. This gave us the confidence that they were ‘masters of their own destiny’ and had the flexibility to enhance and modify the system to meet our specific needs.
3. They had an enviable record for providing high quality support, which was borne out by the enquires that we made amongst their existing customers.
4. All their customers, to whom we spoke, were happy that they had made the right decision in selecting C&F and WinRetail.
5. They are a well-established and stable company, having been in existence for 35 years, with a loyal and well-trained work force.

In early 2015 we installed several pilot sites. This was a condition of our contract with C&F; had we not been happy with the pilot sites we had the option of going no further. I’m pleased to say that the pilot sites went well, and we began a full roll-out in the summer of that year.

We have now had the benefit of running WinRetail for over four years now. The system and the service that we receive are both excellent and the introduction of WinRetail has been of great benefit to Klondyke.

Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending Corby & Fellas as provider of first-class retail systems.

Congratulations to our Head of Development, Gary Powley on 30 years with Corby + Fellas! Thank you Gary, heres to the next 30!

Win £100 Haskins Gift Card 2019

Jobs for September

There is plenty to be done in September while you’re enjoying the last of the summers sun, harvesting crops and tidying up plants will keep you busy this month.

Get planting: Now is the time to start planting your autumn bedding such as winter flowering pansies.

Be prepared: Cover any ponds before autumn leaf fall, this will save you the job of having to remove all the leaves from the ponds later.

Ready, set, tidy: Get your garden looking neat for when autumn hits, this includes tidy finished flowering perennials, pruning climbing roses and shrubs.

Looking after your lawn: Do essential lawn maintenance to avoid waterlogging. Scarify and aerate your lawns and don’t forget to feed it with an autumn fertiliser.

Final chance: Now is the last chance to sow grass seed before winter starts.

Get picking: Harvest those long-awaited apples and blackberries. Pick off any rotting fruits from pear, plums and apple trees.

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Corby + Fellas are proud and honored to provide our WinRetail System to over 50% of the UK’s Leading Garden Centre Groups

The new indoor play area at Tong Garden Centre has created 39 new jobs for local people.

Praise for Corby and Fellas EPOS system
GTN Xtra Promotion

The Corby and Fellas EPOS system has received praise from Mark Winchester, Managing Director of Blackbrooks Garden Centres.

“After investing in a system by one of your competitors and having the unfortunate realisation that things were not working as smoothly as they should, I decided to look for a more efficient system and more reliable technical support,” Mark told Corby and Fellas.

“So, after a brief conversation with Alan McCammon and a subsequent presentation from Corby + Fellas, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and install C&F across the group and I have to say even with the deadlines imposed on your team by myself, the installation process went without a hitch. In fact, I could not have hoped for a better nor smother installation process, so thank you for that.

“Your system has proven to be robust and intuitive enabling our operators to adapt and adopt almost immediately. It is also worth noting the relaxed attitude my till operatives now have due to the confidence they have in their abilities to navigate and rely on their till. This in turn has had a positive effect with the whole team and customers alike.

“I now look forward to making better use of the back-office functionality that your system provides which I have no doubt will trigger cost savings and efficiencies to my business.”

For more information visit www.corbyfellas.com

It is with pleasure that I write to endorse the Corby and Fellas EPOS system.

After investing in a system by one of your competitors and having the unfortunate realisation that things were not working as smoothly as they should, I decided to look for a more efficient system and more reliable technical support.  So  after a brief conversation with Alan McCammon and a subsequent presentation from Corby + Fellas, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and install C&F across the group and I have to say even with the deadlines imposed on your team by myself, the installation process went without a hitch. In fact, I could not have hoped for a better nor smother installation process, so thank you for that.

Your system has proven to be robust and intuitive enabling our operators to adapt and adopt almost immediately. It is also worth noting the relaxed attitude my till operatives now have due to the confidence they have in their abilities to navigate and rely on their till. This in turn has had a positive effect with the whole team and customers alike.

I now look forward to making better use of the back-office functionality that your system provides which I have no doubt will trigger cost savings and efficiencies to my business.

Mark Winchester, Managing Director, Blackbrooks Garden Centres

Recent extremes of weather in some areas of the country have shown the need to conserve water in the garden. One way to conserve water is to mulch borders with chipped bark, do it after a downpour, hoe out the weeds then apply about 5cm of chipped bark. Evergreen Mini-chip Bark in store is 2 x 50ltr bags for £10; normally £5.99 per bag. If you hold a Rewards card they are 3 bags for £12.

Salvias are a great drought tolerant plant; they love a sunny spot on poor well draining soils. Available in a fantastic palette of colours; electric blue, scarlet, hot pink and white or in pastel shades they are worth a spot in any garden.

When it’s raining cats and dogs collect it in a water butt to see you over the dry spells; they easily attach to a downspout and are available in slim-line versions for small gardens. If you are on a water meter why waste precious mains water on the garden.

Mixing water retention gel into the compost as you plant up your containers keeps the compost moist and cuts down on the chances of your bedding plants drying out. All you need is about a teaspoon full in an average size hanging basket.

This weeks recipe is a bit of a challenge, try baking a cake on your BBQ. This lemon drizzle cake is everyone’s favourite and so easy: https://www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk/blog/lemon-drizzle-cake-baked-traeger-timberline-850-wood-pellet-grill

Why not have a go at our Veggie BBQ Recipe competition and win yourself a new charcoal BBQ or some accessories: https://www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk/blog/bbq-recipe-competition

There’s still plenty of fine weather to come so time to enjoy a new set of garden furniture; check out our outdoor furniture sale pages for a bargain: https://www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk/category/garden/garden-furniture/garden-furniture-sale

New Squires Garden Centre opens in Wokingham

Squires Garden Centres has bought Heathlands Garden Centre in Wokingham. Previously owned by Wyevale, the garden centre will now be known as Squires in Wokingham.

All 33 employees will work for Squires, including the Manager Graham Carter, plus not forgetting Petunia the resident cat! The garden centre offers a wide selection of plants, garden products and gifts, plus there’s an air-conditioned indoor play area, Café Bar, and free customer parking. The Clearance Sale at Squires is now on with many items reduced, and new plants, products and gifts will arrive soon in anticipation of the autumn gardening season.

Anthony Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “We are delighted to have sold Heathlands Centre to a highly respected operator, and that it will continue to be run as a garden centre. I would like to take the opportunity to thank our colleagues at Heathlands who have been so instrumental in making it the brilliant operation it is today and wish them all the best under new ownership.”

Sarah Squire, Squires Chairman, said, “We are delighted to welcome Heathlands to Squires Garden Centres. As a family business, firmly rooted in south-west London and nearby home counties, Heathlands is an excellent addition to our group and will be known as Squires in Wokingham. We will be making improvements to the garden centre over time, but we like our garden centres to be different and have their own unique character. We look forward to working with the team at the centre and really getting to know and understand the local community.”