Garden centres have evolved far beyond their roots. Post-pandemic, they've become destinations in their own right, blending retail, cafés, and leisure into a full day out. We sat down with Mo Abousheaisha, who's spent the past year working closely with hospitality and garden centre merchants to unpack how the sector's shifting, where operators are feeling pressure, and what today's payment solutions must deliver.
You've been with DNA Payments for some time now, focused on hospitality and garden centres. How is the sector changing?
MA: The transformation since COVID's been dramatic. Garden centres are now destinations: people come for more than plants or garden furniture. They're staying to enjoy restaurants, cafés, and summer events. It's a whole new experience.
What are the biggest challenges you're hearing from garden centre merchants right now?
MA: The main challenges for merchants right now are rising costs, shrinking margins, and, of course, the unpredictable British weather. We help by reviewing pricing structures, analysing which cards customers use most, and building a bespoke model that keeps the payment options customers expect while improving efficiency and driving savings. Sadly, we can't do much about the weather. This is the UK, after all!
A garden centre today is really running a café, an events space and a retailer under one roof. So how does the point-of-sale keep up?
MA: The till's no longer just a cash register. Today, it's the nerve centre of the business, letting owners and managers view stock in real time, oversee multiple sites, and quickly see all products and services in one place. The right system also cuts down time spent on reconciliation and reporting, freeing teams to focus on what matters.
Why do you think a smart ePOS system is so essential for garden centres specifically?
MA: Smart ePOS systems, like WinRetail from Corby+Fellas, are now essential. It's all about insight: knowing which products fly off the shelves in different seasons, and which move more slowly. With this intelligence, you can fine-tune operations, boost sales, and drive down costs. The more you know, the stronger your business becomes.
Where does DNA Payments fit into all of this?
MA: Honestly, DNA Payments is designed to fit right into that reality. Most garden centres today are juggling tills on the shop floor, card machines for the café or outdoor events, online shops, gift card sales, and then you’ve got the finance team tying it all together in the background. That’s why our solutions are all about flexibility—mobile payment terminals, seamless ePOS integrations (including with WinRetail), website payments, payment links, and real-time reporting through the Merchant Portal. Everything connects, so owners and finance teams can focus on growing the business, not paperwork.
You can see more about our garden centre solutions here.
If you run a garden centre, nursery, or outdoor retail site and want to see what a tailored pricing review or an integrated ePOS setup could look like for you, just get in touch with our team. We’re always happy to talk through the specifics of your sites.