LG Outdoor’s Green Room concept, which enables garden centres to offer own-brand ranges and compete with online sales, now accounts for almost 50% of the company’s business, group chairman Richard Grimmer told SOLEX Sun yesterday.

Green Room is a working name for LG’s volume business which gives garden centres access to ‘affordable containers’ of unbranded product which they can own-brand and and price without fear of comparison with branded goods sold online. The process by which consumers check out product in store and then buy from the cheapest online source is known as ‘showrooming’.

“The beauty of buying unbranded is that they can call it what they want and price it how they want,” said Richard. “It’s been a huge success for us and we’re doing more and more every year.”

Meanwhile, LG continue to innovate elsewhere in the range. More accessories have been introduced this tear, many in full-colour packaging, to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Solus products in the category.

One of the most innovative new products on the stand (515) is the new Hanoi Harbour range featuring an attractive rattan-style weave made from hard-wearing rope (pictured below), which gives the furniture a soft, tactile feel. Tables are have detailing made from brushed acacia.

Also new are Sail Canopies – combining the benefits of a canopy and a gazebo.