Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Supermarket chain Waitrose aims to build on its growing share of the horticultural market by launching its first ever customer magazine dedicated entirely to gardening.
The Spring 2016 issue of ‘Waitrose Garden’ is the first in a seasonal series, with issue two following later this year. The 132-page magazine will be available free to all myWaitrose loyalty scheme members on presentation and scanning of their myWaitrose card, with a cover price of £1.20.
The title will be available in core branches, Little Waitrose shops and John Lewis Foodhalls (a total of 329 branches) but will not be available in Welcome Break, Little Waitrose at Shell and Channel Island shops.
‘Waitrose Garden’ has been designed to be both inspirational and practical. The main section of the magazine, on glossy paper, features five very different gardens. Each is accompanied by a shopping spread for customers to recreate the look themselves, with recommendations from the Waitrose specialist online gardening shop, www.waitrosegarden.com.
This section includes a comprehensive guide for the avid garden explorer, featuring advice and recommendations from writers, editors and presenters. The current issue features Simon Calder exploring the Essex countryside, Julia Bradbury inviting readers on a walk through Epping Forest and ‘Waitrose Good Food Guide’ Editor Liz Carter recommending south-east eateries.
The second part of ‘Waitrose Garden’, in the centre of the magazine, is a smaller 24 page pull-out edited by celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh. He said: “I’m thrilled to be a part of the new ‘Waitrose Garden’ magazine and I can’t wait to share my gardening tips and tricks with Waitrose customers in my Garden Know-How section.”
Waitrose marketing director Rupert Thomas said: “We know gardening is the second most popular pastime for our customers after cooking, so this represents a real opportunity for our brand. ‘Waitrose Garden’ is full of varied and captivating content, so whether the reader is new to gardening or a long-term enthusiast, we hope that it is a magazine they will enjoy.”
Waitrose has seen a 13% growth in outdoor plants in the past year, with perennials up 40% and bedding plants up 24%. Geraniums are the the top choice for Waitrose customers.
