November/December 2024
Planning ahead By Teresa McPherson

I recently had the opportunity to take a little scouting tour of some garden centers in Chicagoland in preparation for The Garden Center Show 2025’s retail tour. While October might not be the ideal time to see retailers at their peak operation, it’s a good chance to see what off-season branding and merchandise they offer — as well as the potential real estate soon to be filled with a lush selection of plant material in the spring.

While I can’t spill the tea yet on where the tour will stop, I can promise that the dozen or so garden retailers we visited all had great things to offer, each with its own unique vibe. Stay tuned to our social media and gardencentershow.com for the latest updates on the show and retail tour.

In This Issue

Can’t wait to get your retail inspiration fix? You’re in luck — we’ve got two garden retail tour articles in this issue. Find highlights of The Lawn & Garden Retailer Bus Tour at this year’s The Garden Center Show in the Chicago area, and find a look at Dallas’ diverse garden retailers from the Garden Center Group’s Fall Event tour here.

This issue is packed with editorial to help you prepare your garden center for the 2025 season as well. Click here to read about how ready-made landscape plans can help garden centers simplify landscape design — whether they already have a full-time staff or are interested in expanding into this market, as well as to sell more plants.

Many accolades are given out each year to several varieties from industry associations including All-America Selections, Perennial Plant Association, Raker-Roberta’s Trial Gardens and more. Click here to read about the winners to consider for your benches in 2025.

Managing increased traffic in your retail store can be a good problem to have — but one that needs a solution. Find out how to train your staff to manage the surge, as well as tips on how to ensure a positive experience for both your customers and staff, here.

Got big plans for your store in 2025? I’d love to hear about them! Drop me a line at [email protected].