Sep 6, 2012
What’s New With You?By pmihalek

Give me a gimmick. Is it new packaging, better ingredients, limited edition — or maybe what you’re selling is new and improved? I love a good gimmick.

Tell me a story. Was it handmade by a respected artisan or does a portion of its sale help support a charity in your community? I love a good story.

When I don’t have my editorial hat on, I’d like to think of myself as your average Joe Consumer. I’m more frugal today. I want a quality product. And, now more than ever, I want explicit reasons why that product is wallet-worthy.

Aren’t the majority of your customers the same way? If so, are you giving them the reasons they want?

trader joe’s to trial gardens

On two separate, but recent experiences — a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s and a visit to the Raker Trial Gardens via the AAS Summer Summit — I encountered the retail power of “new.”

If you’ve been to a Trader Joe’s, you know that they aren’t the biggest grocery stores around, making them pretty easy to navigate. On our most recent trip to this grocer, my wife and I were stopped dead in our tracks, thanks to one endcap near the back of the store. “New Products.”

Ten new products were highlighted — products we NEVER would have known were new if they had been placed in their usual aisle locations. From natural strawberry licorice to unscented hand wipes, now, all 10 products on this endcap had our undivided attention.

And then came the Raker Trial Gardens. This was my first trip to Raker, and I was blown away and overwhelmed by the color, organization and sheer mass of the gardens.

However, I did notice myself gravitate to one thing over and over again: the “New Variety” flags. For good reason, these tall, white flags did an excellent job making introductory varieties stand out from their trialing bretheren.

Sometimes garden center shopping can be overwhelming when there are too many choices. What gimmick or special story behind your newest products makes them a confident pick for your customers?


pmihalek