Staying ahead key to success

Palmers Rotorua has won a garden supplies franchise Store of the Year award. Photo/Ben Fraser

Palmers Rotorua has won the nationwide garden supplies franchise Store of the Year award. It is the second win for the Rotorua store, which picked up the award in 2009 and was a finalist in the years from 2007 to 2015.

"We are absolutely rapt to win this award again," said store owner Darryl Pierce.

He said the store imported a lot of products directly to cut out the middle man, with containers arriving this year with a range of products including pots, water features, giftware, paintings, wall art and resin animals.

"We have had to diversify and constantly change to stay ahead of everyone else," he said.

"The quality of our plants and willingness to try new products is a testament to the ongoing success of our store.

"We are always on the look-out for new opportunities and new ways of displaying our products to keep it interesting."

Palmers Rotorua was also a Central Region finalist for this year's Top Shop awards.

Mr Pierce, who has spent almost three decades in the garden centre business, also paid tribute to the quality of his staff.

"You can have all the good ideas in the world, but you need the right people with a good work ethic and drive to make things happen," he said.