We were delighted to spend the weekend after Easter at the ever-popular spring edition of the Harrogate Flower Show. Darlac’s Damian McEvoy was there to represent Darlac on the stand and was blessed with plenty of sunshine and plenty of sales, so it was a weekend blessed with good fortune.
Damian enjoys spending time with customers getting feedback that’s useful for his day-job at Darlac as Technical Lead and so he really enjoyed meeting customers from across the country at Harrogate. Being able to wax lyrical about why Darlac tools are the best (we might be a little bit biased, but we’re inclined to agree) is a perk of the job, but we’ll let Damian tell you all about it below in this own words.
“It’s a long old trek up from the South Coast, and limited to 60 mph (I usually do around 55 to be safe) with the caravan, so it was near enough a six-hour drive – including breaks of course! It was worth it though, for the first time in I can’t remember how many years we had some sunshine (last year it rained solidly for four days) and there were lots of customers about, both new and returning, who came to say hello.
We were very happy with the Darlac stand sales this year – in fact it was twice what we did at this same show last year. We sold out of Bamboo Handle Spear Hoe on the first day and every other long handled bamboo hoe by the end of the show. There were gaps on quite a few other things by the second and third day, and a complete sell out on old favourites like the Expert Bypass Pruner and Compact Plus Pruners. As is often the case, to keep the display looking tip top it might require a complete overhaul of a stand mid-show – and this show was certainly no exception.”
Damian’s background as a gardening industry sales rep, coupled with his new role as our Technical Lead and his own personal experience as a gardener, means that he is an invaluable well of knowledge and resource when it comes to spreading the gospel of Darlac tools up and down the UK.
“One thing I have found in my experience at these shows is that it’s all about engaging with customers, and that it’s completely different from the shopfloor in a garden centre. I really enjoy it because you have a chance to expound the features of a product, for example the Compound Action Pruner or Super Classic Ratchet Secateurs, and can actually show people how well they cut with real live wood!
It’s always fantastic to see returning customers and to continue to get feedback from end users, and it’s great to hear when people care enough to make suggestions or offer constructive criticism. It’s also the ideal opportunity to keep banging the drum about the importance of tool maintenance, as well as the sustainability of Darlac. It’s very satisfying when end users are grateful for a really in-depth explanation of how to use and how to maintain our tools.
A comment from this show that has stuck with me is ‘you don’t get this in garden centres.’ It’s made me even more determined to get out there and try to better inform shopfloor staff in garden centres across the country on our tools.
All in all, Harrogate was a very good show. Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come!”
At Darlac, we pride ourselves on being Cutting Tools Experts, and we care about the post-sales support we offer both our retailers and our customers. If you’re a garden retailer you can get in touch with your area sales agent if you would like some training support, or if you’re a customer and have any queries then please get in touch with us. You can also catch us at flower and garden shows up and down the country in 2022, find out where to find us here.