Gardening has never been so popular but competition for these aspiring Titchmarshes and Dimmocks among the garden centres and DIY stores is growing ever fiercer.

For family-run garden centres, such as All-in-One in Middleton, near Rochdale, developing a distinctive identity and service has been key to attracting a loyal customer base of horticultural enthusiasts. In fact, since opening its doors in 1971, the business has consistently invested in improvements, culminating in a £2 million facelift in 1989. Over the years, the centre has established an impressive pedigree, finishing runners up in the prestigious ‘National Garden Centre Of The Year’ competition.

All-in-One is no stranger to the benefits of eye-catching and informative in-store displays and they have proved an important element in the centre’s success. “For many years we used an A3 colour printer that generated adequate posters for us,” explained Finance Director, Jason Stafford. “However it became increasingly evident that the latest large format print technology would give us the opportunity to print exceptional posters, while being easier and much less time-consuming to use.”

After seeing the Epson Stylus Pro 7500S 6-colour printer being demonstrated, by London-based reseller, Kadfire, All-In-One had no doubt it was the ideal solution. A key factor in this decision, explained Jason Stafford, was the UV stability offered by the Epson ColorFast pigmented inks, which allows the centre to display posters outdoors as well as indoors.

All-in-One now has a dedicated full time member of staff managing the graphics and printing department and she has been able to produce posters with great visual impact, for use throughout the garden centre. The 24'' wide printer gives All-In-One the scope to produce posters which create a consistent corporate image, while allowing individual departments the flexibility to use their own images and concepts in the most effective way for their products. In addition, the photo-quality printing enables the centre to print sharper images for a more professional style of presentation.

“We also have the flexibility to produce all different shapes and sizes, including hanging banners, using the different Epson media,” noted Jason Stafford. “Overall, the printer can deliver high quality, easy to produce displays that will provide our customers with the information and assistance they require to improve the overall shopping experience in our centre.”