Trends with: Glen Instone
What trends do you see for the autumn within your line of business?
The autumn seems a long way off right now with a lot of immediate uncertainty around the general macro pressures, energy prices, cost of living crisis, as well as the terrible ongoing war in Ukraine. However uncertainty also brings opportunity. COVID-19 forced people to stay at home and fall in love with their gardens. I hope this period of uncertainty could also lead to more people staying at home and enjoying their outdoor spaces!
From your perspective, what are the greatest challenges right now?
This is really an unusual period in time with uncertainty on so many fronts. In the business I work in, of course the macro environment impacts but also the weather plays a huge part. The spring is very much here in the majority of markets so we are in full preparation mode in anticipation of the sales season. What is hard to see is how consumer spending will play out. There are positive signs across multiple industries but also caution in others. We simply need to be ready and react accordingly.
And, opportunities?
The urgency to address climate change means that solutions with low carbon emissions are increasingly being prioritized by customers, companies and legislators. We have made big strides with our sustainability efforts to date, notably reducing CO2 emissions by 32%*. I firmly believe that our offering of products and solutions with low carbon emissions put us in a great position to lead the industry in sustainability – and simply do what is right for this planet.
*vs 2015 when we launched our program.