Reinvigorating The Blog

Whew. Well, that was an undeserved break in the action. I'm going to try to get this blog back up and running again. Luckily, all it takes is a few posts to get it back in shape (unlike myself, which will take far more work).

I just saw an interesting story on Retail Wire about a new study showing 94 percent of grocery shoppers use a list when at the store. Several retail and grocery types are lamenting the lack of impulse opportunities with this blasted list.

One comment caught my attention, though. It said while 94 percent of shoppers use a list, other data shows 80 percent of brand decisions are made at the shelf. Those numbers don't have to be in conflict, the commenter says, because the list is rather generic: eggs, milk, bread, etc. It's the job of the packaging and the POP to sell the brand.

Just something to think about when merchandising, even at the garden center. The customer may come in with a list that says sun annuals, but its the job of the merchandising to sell the product. And entice the customer to add on some much-needed tools, fertilizer, pots, etc.

"Pretty Cool" Products

It's jeans Friday, lunchtime and Cleveland's just reached the halfway point of a forecasted "snowicane." Greenhouse Grower editor Kevin Yanik is braving the elements and kindly picking me up a sub from Subway. It's actually not that bad out there.

I figure if I'm having lunch al-desko, I might watch an episode of The Office (BBC version...so much better), but do this first - blog about some pretty cool new products I've seen this week and last month.

In chronological order, I'll start with AmericasMart. In the temporaries at the Gift Market, we came across Artscapes cool solar-powered flowers. Alan from Artscapes said they've been getting great feedback from them. They also come in a few different colors. Check out the vid I took:

Then just last weekend I made a trip to Anthropologie with my girlfriend. We have one store in the Cleveland area and it's a pretty sharp, high-end place. Top-notch merchandising; and a nice side-note, spring was the theme and gardening displays had a lot to do with that. While patiently waiting, a 12-inch pot and one particular add-on really caught my eye.

I think this notepad is something EVERY garden center should have on their checkout counter. An awesome impulse item.

And new in at Gali's Garden Center this season are the Bellingham Leather Gloves. Selling Christmas trees this past winter I used the brown leather Bionic gloves. They were awesome and super durable, but a little pricey. I think they retail for around $50. I haven't had a chance to test out these Bellingham's for durability, but they are probably the most comfortable gloves I've ever tried on and they're half the price. They felt like thick golf gloves.

And last but not least, Good Earth Manufacturing's Olde World Hanging Garden, which actually comes to us by way of Gregg Curtis, owner of the Revolutionary Good Earth Garden Center in North Little Rock. He's pretty excited about it and when we got it in the mail today, we were sold on it, too. Pots rest easily and securely in the hanger and would be ideal for hanging baskets.

Inherent Laws of Retail Plant Sales

Law No. 6: The Customer (continued)

Part I

The coupon is the lone reason behind a customer's wanting of a particular item(s). If they can't use the coupon, they won't buy the product.

Part II

A customer will complain about the price of a small plant and will often not buy a small plant, but will be more than willing to pay twice as much for a plant twice the size.

Part III

Sometimes customers need vocabulary assistance when reading coupons. A "tray" is not a "flat" and a "purchase" is not synonymous with "item."

Inherent Laws of Retail Plant Sales

Law No. 5: The Customer

Part I

A customer who wants to plant impatiens in the sun or geraniums in shade will complain to you that they don't ever grow well for them there...or if you tell them they won't, they'll tell you they've done it before.

Part II

After about June 30th, the "crazy ones" will appear - customers who aren't regular gardeners, who will want to plant flower seeds and shrubs on the hottest afternoons.

Part III

79% of your shrub shoppers have never actually seen firsthand the plant they want. They merely "saw it in a book." The shrub they want is usually native to South America or Australia.

Next week: The Customer continued
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Inherent Laws of Retail Plant Sales

Law No. 4: Probables

Part I

The most topsoil and mulch will be sold on days just after a heavy rain.

Part II

The approximate time a customer will "Just set these four flats on the counter while I take a quick look around" will be slightly longer than the time of the mad rush, in which there is never enough counter space.

Part III

When presented with an empty parking lot, a customer may park in a way that does not require the use of the parking space lines painted on the ground.

Next week: The Customer

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Inherent Laws of Retail Plant Sales

Law No. 3: Customer Inquiries

Part I

The customer would rather ask you how much something costs, than read the sign that's two inches from their hand.

Part II

The customer, on a 53% basis, will want something that doesn't exist (for example, the blue geranium).

Part III

"The ambiguous plant" seeker. This customer identifies a plant with this description: "It's in my neighbors yard. It's sorta large. It's green and has white flowers on it. It's so beautiful. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Part IV

"Do you work here?" is often asked to employees wearing their garden center uniform.

Next week - The Probables
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Inherent Laws of Retail Plant Sales

Law No. 2: Senior Citizen Discounts

Part I

Senior citizens always insist on their 10% discount, even on purchases totalling $1.50.

Part II

Senior citizens will ask for their discount after you have checked them out. This can be primarily annoying for garden centers without POS systems.

Next week - Customer Inquiries
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