Greenfingers hires Tesco supremo to head launch

Helen Bridgett, the woman who helped turn Tesco into one of the UK’s most popular Internet service providers and e-commerce Websites, has joined the race for prominence among gardening sites.

Bridgett has been appointed chief executive of Greenfin-gers.com, which is about to launch at the same time as direct competitors such as E-garden.com and Crocus.co.uk.

Other established marketing names behind Greenfingers.com include Robin Klein, former chief executive of Innovations and a director of Arcadia Home Shopping, and Jonathan Cowan, ex-brand development director at Dixons and brand manager at Procter & Gamble.

They are joined by Debbie Bond who, with Bridgett, was responsible for Web development at Tesco Online.

Gardening writer and Greenfingers.com founder George Plumptre claims this marketing muscle will “help ensure Greenfingers.com quickly becomes market leader in the Internet gardening space”.

The Website will offer content and e-commerce to the UK’s estimated 30 million gardeners. “High-profile” gardening celebrities are expected to signed up to Greenfingers.com, and it will be the first dot-com exhibitor at the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

Gardening Websites have a demographic advantage over other sectors because their target market, so-called “silver surfers” – (over-55 online consumers), is the fastest growing group of first-time Net users.

E-garden has formed a number of strategic alliances with “major portals” including MSN, Zoom, AOL, Handbag.com, Onseniors and Tesco Net.