Tiger reports record year of growth

UK garden building specialist Tiger has reported a year of record performance, with revenues rising 18% year-on-year and sales more than doubled since 2019.

“The last 12 months have represented a major step forward for the business across ecommerce, retail expansion, customer experience and operational capability," said Sam Jenkinson, Head of Marketing at Tiger. "We operate in a highly competitive market, but we believe our focus on quality, innovation and long-term brand building continues to set Tiger apart.

“There have been significant external challenges, from fluctuating consumer confidence to rising costs and aggressive competitor activity, but the team has responded exceptionally well. What’s particularly pleasing is the consistency of performance we’re now seeing across the full trading calendar, including periods traditionally more exposed to seasonal and weather volatility.

“We’ve built strong momentum across ecommerce and retail simultaneously, and we see significant opportunities for continued expansion in both areas over the coming years.” 

The company has in particular accelerated the rollout of its physical retail presence, growing from a single show site in 2023 to over 30 locations this year through its expanding franchise network (pictured above is part of its Bristol showsite).

Tiger says it expects continued double-digit ecommerce growth alongside further development across its retail network and modular buildings division throughout 2026, with additional product launches and category expansion plans already in development.

Alongside commercial expansion, Tiger continues to invest in sustainability and community initiatives, including recycling all timber chippings into animal bedding, supporting tree replanting projects and sponsoring this year’s Shed of the Year competition, which now includes a dedicated community category. The business also continues its partnership with St Gemma's Hospice.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK 

 

Architects' garden studio

Architects' Studio is a fabulous build by O'Donnell + Tuomey in Dublin which has been shortlisted for the RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2026.

They quite rightly describe the 10m x 6m studio as a "shed-like structure", a freestanding extension to a late-Georgian terraced house in the long back garden which has managed to retain two birch trees and also offer views of the local Rathmines church. Features include a monopitch roof, double-height interior space, kitchen, mezzanine, a Douglas fir structure, locally sourced structural timber, a black zinc roof, and an air-to-water heat pump. 

Smashing photos by Aisling McCoy and more at the top link.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

Chile shed: update

A quck update on the garden office/casita build in Chile of my old school friend Kevin Towl (you can see the original post here). It's coming along nicely inside.

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company

 

Shedworking annual holiday

It's that time of the year when the generous senior management team allow everybody a few days of almost paid leave to enjoy the sunshine at glamorous locations of their choice. While we're all away, please do enjoy some of the previous 8,000 posts from the last 20 years and we'll see you again soon.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information 

 

Dads want to work from home but fear career penalties, says new report

New research from King’s College London suggests more than one in six fathers would quit if forced to work in office full-time, and that working from home in garden offices and other home environments could improve family wellbeing, gender equality, fertility, and staff retention, but only if fathers can use it without stigma or career penalties.

The report, led by King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) based at King’s Business School, finds that fathers increasingly value working from home because it allows them to stay committed to paid work while being more present in family life. Yet the report warns that formal access is not enough. Fathers may be allowed to work from home on paper, but workplace cultures, visibility expectations and assumptions about commitment can still make it difficult to use in practice.

Key findings from the report show:

• around 17% of full-time working fathers who currently work from home say that they would quit if forced back to the office full-time
• fathers want twice as many working-from-home days as their employer currently allows, around 2.10 days preferred versus 1.10 days allowed
• 41% of fathers say they are formally allowed some working from home and 39% of fathers say they actually use it
• workers who work from home are rated less favourably for promotion by managers in the UK, a penalty particularly strong for fathers compared to other groups of workers, especially when it comes to 3-4 days working from home

The report argues that fathers working from home can change how families manage the pressure points of daily life, from commuting and school routines to childcare and household work. It can also help with worker engagement, productivity as well as allowing employers hold on to staff who might otherwise look for roles that fit better with family life.

“Flexible working was never a mothers' issue," said Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and co-author of the report. "It's time we stopped treating it like one. Post-pandemic fathers have discovered something their own fathers never had, the school run, dinner time, the chance to actually be there supporting family well-being and financial stabilities.

“What is more, when men are involved, not only do their ideas of what it means to be a man changes but so do their children’s. A generation is growing up with a different idea of masculinity. Remote work isn't just reshaping offices. It's reshaping families and the future of gender roles.”

Shiyu Yuan, Research Assistant at King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and co-author of the report added: “What employers may have not fully grasped is that working from home is not just nice to have or a cost to be managed, but something must-have and a reason for people to stay. For fathers, it is now a part of the family infrastructures and the coping strategy they rely on to be achieve both their career and family aspirations. Taking it away would disrupt family life, increase stress, and damage the engagement and loyalty of their most experienced staff.

“However, simply providing flexibility is not enough. Without tackling the stigma associated with flexibility, fathers may be fear of using it, or feel forced to use it in ways that protect their image at work while damaging their and their family’s wellbeing.”

Image courtesy Warwick Buildings

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK 

Full width garden office

This garden studio at the end of a recently built two bedroom house in Leyton, London, was designed by architect Joe Burke. It runs the full width of the back garden and the Shedworking staff were particularly taken by the horizontal design which works so well with the wooden facade.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

 

 

Tiger reaches 30th show site milestone after Yorkshire expansion

Woodlands Home & Garden Group’s consumer-facing brand Tiger has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 30th UK show site.

The latest site - opened at Sam Turner & Sons in Northallerton - joins a nationwide offline network spanning Scotland, the North of England, Wales, the Midlands and the Home Counties. Tiger now operates sites in partnership with British Garden Centres, Blue Diamond, Caulders, Dobbies, Yorkshire Garden Centres, Klondyke, Cherry Lane, alongside independent operators and standalone destination sites.

New sites launched this year sinclude Ashton, Basingstoke, Dundee, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Hinckley, Linlithgow and Morpeth.

"The physical retail environment remains incredibly powerful for considered purchases like sheds and garden rooms," said Stuart Davison, Commercial Director at Woodlands. "Our research shows that while many consumers enjoy our online shopping experience, a lot customers want to see, touch and compare our quality buildings in the flesh."

The show sites run alongside Tiger’s digital platform which includes online configurators allowing customers to design bespoke buildings and a virtual showroom to browse the collection. 

Originally founded in Yorkshire over 110 years ago, the business is now owned via an Employee Owned Trust, employing more than 230 people across manufacturing, head office, logistics as well as retail.

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company