Business & Technology
RHS appoints Yodel Mobile to boost Grow app downloads
JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN
News Editor
App store push
The Royal Horticultural Society has appointed Yodel Mobile to support the expansion of its RHS Grow app in the charity’s first partnership with an app marketing agency.
The appointment is part of a wider effort to extend the RHS’s reach beyond its gardens and shows and draw more users to its digital services. Yodel Mobile will work to improve the app’s visibility in app stores through app store optimisation, helping the charity target younger gardeners, beginners and people across the UK who may not engage with its physical sites.
RHS Grow offers gardening guidance, inspiration and practical advice through a mobile app. The partnership reflects a broader push to make gardening more accessible wherever people live, as the RHS develops its digital strategy alongside its traditional work in horticulture, education and public gardens.
Founded in 1804, the RHS is the UK’s largest gardening charity, with more than 600,000 members. It shares horticultural advice through its gardens, events, education programmes, publications and website, while also running campaigns linked to sustainability and school gardening.
For Yodel Mobile, the agreement adds a well-known national institution to its client list. The consultancy, part of NP Digital, specialises in mobile app marketing and says it has worked on more than 2,500 apps since its founding in 2007, including for TUI, UKTV, Global Player and Hinge.
Charity digital shift
The partnership also signals a shift in how the RHS is approaching audience development. Long reliant on its gardens, flower shows and publishing to connect with the public, the charity is now placing greater emphasis on mobile products to reach new demographics, including urban users and younger people.
RHS strategy 2030
The app forms part of the RHS’s 2030 Strategy, which aims to widen access to gardening, support more sustainable practices and use science-based approaches to address issues affecting people and nature. Digitally, that means using online tools to reach audiences who may not see gardening as an established part of daily life.
One likely focus is discoverability. Competition in app stores is intense, and charities and membership organisations often face the same challenge as consumer brands in turning recognition into downloads and repeat use. By focusing on organic app store presence rather than paid promotion alone, the RHS appears to be seeking longer-term user growth.
Jamie Meza De Paz, App Marketing Manager at the RHS, outlined the thinking behind the appointment.
“RHS Grow is about opening up gardening to new audiences and showing that it’s for everyone, wherever they live,” said Jamie Meza De Paz, App Marketing Manager at the RHS.
“It’s also important that we extend the reach of the RHS beyond our gardens, helping more people connect with nature and experience the joy of gardening in their everyday lives. We were looking for a partner with a proven track record of delivering measurable results, and Yodel Mobile stood out immediately. Their expertise will help us reach more people and strengthen our app store presence, ensuring even more users can discover and enjoy the app,” said Meza De Paz.
The charity’s focus on younger and newer gardeners reflects a broader trend across the horticulture sector, where established institutions are trying to connect with audiences shaped by mobile-first habits, smaller living spaces and growing interest in urban and sustainable gardening. Apps have become one way to offer advice and build regular engagement without relying on visits to physical venues.
Yodel Mobile role
That creates an opening for specialist marketing firms focused on app discovery, retention and engagement. Yodel Mobile said its role will centre on strengthening the app’s organic position in app stores, which can influence both download volumes and how a product is perceived by prospective users.
Mick Rigby, Chief Executive Officer of Yodel Mobile, said the partnership would support the charity’s digital ambitions.
“We’re delighted to partner with the RHS, a national institution with such a strong legacy, to help unlock the full potential of the RHS Grow app,” said Mick Rigby, Chief Executive Officer of Yodel Mobile.
“This initiative will support the RHS’s vision of making gardening accessible for everyone, while strengthening its digital presence for the future,” said Rigby.
The RHS has also set out a separate sustainability strategy aimed at making the organisation net positive for nature and people by 2030. Alongside its Planet-Friendly Gardening campaign, the charity has encouraged UK gardeners to respond to climate and biodiversity pressures, adding another dimension to its effort to broaden participation in gardening through digital tools.
Business & Technology
Rosa’s Thai is giving away 4000 free Pad Thais to students
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
Business & Technology
Historic coin company enters administration after 20 years
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
Business & Technology
Warning of new rules for Aldi and Lidl after watchdog review
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.
“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.
“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.
Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.
However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.
All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.
They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.
With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.
The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.
The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.
If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.
The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.
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