As more shoppers request home deliveries, Gardenworld is making sure everyone’s horticultural needs are met.

His official title is co-owner of Gardenworld. But James Wall says he often feels like a doctor.

“We’ve got some great relationships with our local customers, and a lot of them come in weekly, bring in plant samples and plunk them down on the counter,” James tells Kochie’s Business Builders. “I feel like I’m a doctor sometimes, trying to tell them what’s wrong with their plants. They keep coming back and we love having them.”

Gardenworld is a collection of five independently owned businesses that sell horticultural products, from plants and seeds to potting mixes and pots, based in Bayside, Victoria.

They include Collectors Corner (retail plant nursery specialising in interesting and unusual plants); Gardenworld Nursery (plants, fertilisers and potting mixes); Lotus Watergardens (fountains, watergardens and statues); Gardensmart (hydroponic gardening and hanging basket experts); and Gardenworld Café.

“It’s a bit like a mall,” says James. “You name it, we’ve probably got it.”

James has been part of Gardenworld for 13 years and he loves his job. “What I’m most proud of in running a nursery is finding and supplying plants for people who want those particular plants, who get lots of joy, and go home and put them in their own gardens,” he says. “It really is a great industry to work in.”

Watch: Gardenworld shares the seeds of their success on Kochie’s Business Builders. Post continues after video.

Gardenworld’s online growth

Like any business of course, it’s not without its challenges, such as keeping up with social media trends.

“There’s the effort that goes into photographing a plant to put on Instagram or pleasing people on Facebook, telling them about events that are on and really utilising that online space a lot more than we were in the past,” says James.

And while COVID was difficult for many businesses, initially Gardenworld saw a growth in sales as most other retailers were forced to shut and the gardening firm, along with hardware stores, was allowed to remain open.

COVID also forced a massive change on the company: Going from a retail-only to a click and collect and delivery business.

The latter in particular posed a challenge. “The thing with plants and potting mix is that courier companies don’t really want to know about us,” explains James. “We’re fiddly, we’re heavy, we’re odd shapes, plants tip over, and dirt falls out.”

James quickly realised that Gardenworld would have do a lot of small deliveries throughout the Melbourne suburbs and Mornington Peninsula, and without the help of courier firms, the company would need to make the deliveries directly.

A smooth delivery experience

Gardenworld delivers to Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula doorsteps.

Finding the right vehicle to make deliveries was essential, and after searching the available options, James invested in two Peugeot Expert commercial vans. Winner of Drive.com.au’s 2019 ‘Commercial Vehicle of the Year’ award, the Expert is part of Peugeot’s range of commercial vans built on an SUV platform that offer all the comfort and luxury of a recreational car with the functionality of a van.

“It’s a pleasure to drive,” says James. “It’s got a very quiet engine and is very fuel efficient. And of course it has the barn doors which anyone with a nursery needs to slip the odd little pallet inside.”

An added bonus is the Expert’s payload weight of up to 1300kg, which comes in handy for delivering potting mixes.

“Some people just don’t want to go and get four or five bags of heavy potting mixes,” says James. “But now it can be dropped to their door, their expectations have changed. We’ve definitely seen the opportunity online and we’re now trying to market ourselves more in that direction.”

For more, check out Gardenworld’s website. To learn more about Peugeot’s range of commercial vans that offer business owners the combination of a functional vehicle without sacrificing the comfort and luxury of a personal car, visit the Peugeot Professional website or visit your local dealer.

This content is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in partnership with Peugeot.