Apr 25, 2017
Let’s Move ThatBy Abby (Kleckler) McGarry

It’s hard to believe that May is almost here, and hopefully you’ve had some time to pick up your April issue of Lawn & Garden Retailer. If not, definitely make sure to do so when you have a moment, but for now I’m going to talk about one article that got me thinking.

Christina Salwitz’s column this month, titled “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” talks about having your employees walk the whole store every day because you never know when they’ll see something that could be helpful or come up with an idea you never thought of that might work better than what you’re currently doing. Things don’t always have to stay in their same places.

I visited Wasson Nursery’s newest location in Fishers, Indiana, for its grand opening this past weekend. The store is wonderful (you can see just a slice of it in this Facebook live video we did)!

One thing missing, however, was a lot of directional signage. Bob Wasson, one of the owners, mentioned that this is because things might still change, and he wanted to see how the customers shop around. Now that makes sense!

Similar to what Christina wrote, “Getting the perspective of what someone sees with fresh eyes is incredibly enlightening.”

Have you switched things up, and it worked better than expected? Whose initial idea was it? Let me know at [email protected].

Data: Gardening Grows

The 2017 National Gardening Survey is out, and these are some stats you’ll want to hear. The DIY yard and garden industry has grown to $36.9 billion, and 74 percent of all U.S. households took part in lawn and garden activities in 2016. In 2015, this number was 70 percent of households.

Industry consultant and analyst Ian Baldwin contributed to the report, and he says, “Though overall gains were small, the 2016 data indicates that consumers are feeling more confident in their discretionary spending of both time and dollars with regard to gardening,”

The report attributes the slow and steady growth, in part, to millennials and food gardening. You can purchase the full report and www.gardenresearch.com, and let me know if you agree with the findings.

Cheers,

Abby

 

 


Abby (Kleckler) McGarry

Abby (Kleckler) McGarry is the managing editor of Lawn & Garden Retailer. Contact her at [email protected].