CAST coverage and customer pain points
As I write this, California Spring Trials (CAST) is just days away. My bags are packed and I’m ready to soak up the California sun and report back about all the new plant breeding on display. And since sometimes the displays are nearly as fun to see as the new varieties, we’ll share plenty of merchandising inspiration from the event as well.
Watch for future coverage of the event in Lawn & Garden Retailer — once we’re en route, we’ll be sharing highlights from each breeder on our social media channels, as well as daily emails. Subscribe now at lgrmag.com/signup.
Also In This Issue
AI Q&A
The artificial intelligence (AI) buzz is everywhere — but it shouldn’t be feared. Annie Schneider, senior director of product marketing for retail industries at Epicor, breaks down some of the common questions garden retailers ask when it comes to AI and how AI can be applied to their business. Find the answers on page 14.
Pottery That Solves a Problem
Pots and planters are an essential category in any garden center product mix. I reached out to three pottery and container suppliers for the story “Perspectives on Pots and Planters.” They shared with me that home gardeners are looking for products that can not only solve a problem, but also multitask — all while looking good in the process. Turn to page 10 for more.
Customer Pain Points
Columnist Stan Pohmer also shared his thoughts this month on solving customers’ problems by anticipating them and providing solutions.
“One of the most important truths I learned early in my career was this: Take care of the customer and everything else falls into place,” he writes. “That means identifying the barriers to purchase — not creating solutions and then searching for problems to apply them to.” Read more on page 36.
Videos
