On Thursday Waitrose launched a cutting hedge magazine aimed entirely at the discerning gardener. The budding new idea is the upmarket grocer‘s attempt to grow its share of the horticultural market. Okay we will stop the puns, although given that Waitrose has seen 13% growth in outdoor plants over the last year, it seems a blooming great idea.
The 132 page magazine, called Waitrose Garden, is the first issue in a seasonal series. Issue two will follow later this year. The magazine will be available for free to all myWaitrose members.
Waitrose Garden has been designed to be both “inspirational and practical”. The main section of the magazine, on glossy paper, features five varied gardens each accompanied by a shopping spread for customers to recreate the look themselves, with recommendations from the Waitrose specialist online gardening shop, waitrosegarden.com.
Waitrose has focused a lot of effort on producing editorial content for customers across all channels. As well as the new gardening title, Waitrose also produces Waitrose Weekend, a free newspaper with a weekly circulation of nearly 400,000 readers; Waitrose Food, the supermarket’s monthly food magazine; and Waitrose TV, the brand’s online television portal.
‘We know that gardening is the second most popular pastime for our customers after cooking, so this represents a real opportunity for our brand,” says Rupert Thomas, Waitrose Marketing Director.
“Waitrose Garden is full of varied and captivating content, so whether the reader is new to gardening or a long-term enthusiast, we hope that it is a magazine they will enjoy.”
