From Winter to Spring
As I write this, there are exactly 60 days until the first day of spring. While the days are (thankfully!) getting longer again, we’re still in the midst of winter here in western Pennsylvania. Nearly a foot of snow blankets the yard and I’m dreaming of days when I don’t feel cold all the time.
While it might not seem like much is happening outside this time of year, it’s easy to forget that there are still activities to do, like feeding the birds. In fact, according to the Humane Society of the United States, bird feeding is most helpful in late winter or early spring, when natural seed sources like plants are depleted.
Need some tips on how to draw customers to your store during the winter months? Click to this article, where three experts explain how to garner interest in “off-season” birding — it can also be a great way to increase those off-season sales numbers.
Also in This Issue
This time of year is a great time to evaluate your social media strategy and plan ahead for the busy spring season. Whether you’re building your social audience from scratch or trying to get a handle on the latest changes, you can find the best ways to increase and maintain your garden center’s social impressions here.
The garden center world — and the green industry in general — is a people industry. This month, columnist Stan Pohmer explains how the lowest-paid members of your IGC’s team — the ones watering the plants while answering questions about where to find products, stocking the displays and helping customers load plants into their cars, sweeping up the dirt from a plant the customer’s kid knocked over, and the cashiers who keep smiling despite being on their feet all day — are the ones who are the most visible representatives of your brand. They’re the ones who have the most interaction with your customers, and have more impact on your customers’ experience than you and your management team do.
“You’ve mastered the skill set needed to grow and nourish plants,” he writes, “but have you honed the skill set needed to grow and nourish your employees?” Click here for his thoughts on how to help develop and nurture your new and existing employees.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that people in the U.S. “spent $8.5 billion more on gardening-related items in 2020 than they did in 2019, an increase of 18.7%, according to data from.” In other words, houseplants are still a big business. We take a look at what’s trending in the world of houseplants here.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ll face in 2022? Send me an email at [email protected].
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