March 2021
Sharing Valuable Information By Teresa McPherson

Marketing tips and ideas to help you thrive in 2021.

Last summer, my vegetable garden produced more than my family of four could possibly consume. Sure, we ate what seemed like tons of tomatoes and peppers, and when we tired of tomato sauces and tomato soups, we dehydrated and marinated and froze — and still had too many! It got to the point where I was ready to start leaving baskets of tomatoes on the neighbors’ porches.

I recognized some irony in the situation — what had almost turned into a burden for me (a ridiculously large vegetable garden!) was a joy to others (home-grown tomatoes without any of the work!). And seeing that delight on people’s faces made me want to go back into that garden and nurture it some more.

Just as home gardeners like to share the bounty with others, green industry people share tips and ideas freely. In her new monthly column, Gail Pabst, marketing communications coordinator at National Garden Bureau, offers tips for keeping a regular strategy for posting on your social media channels. Not only will it help create a better customer experience, she writes, it will build your credibility, reputation, and brand trust. Click here to read more.

And while we’re on the subject of marketing, columnist Stan Pohmer says that many garden centers put too much emphasis on price — and not enough on the value they are offering. He writes that it’s rare to see any copy in newspaper ads for IGCs that helps convince potential customers that it’s a good idea to shop in your store, or that educates them as to why they should buy their products from you. Read more of his insights here.

Thriving in 2021

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the special digital edition of Lawn & Garden Retailer we recently released: with Thriving in 2021: Your Guide to Success.

Inside are loads of ideas and inspiration to make the most out of 2021 — whether it’s taking advantage of new color trends, borrowing innovative ideas from other IGCs on how they changed the way they did business in 2021 when coronavirus changed the way we did everything or recognizing trends that will shape the future.

We also surveyed our readers about their 2020 results and their plans for 2021 and included the results (a special thank you to you if you filled out the survey!). There’s good news to report! More than 70% of our respondents said their sales were above average in 2020, and nearly half expect the same for 2021.

You can access the guide at www.lgrmag.com/Thrive.

Teresa McPherson

Teresa McPherson is the managing editor of Lawn & Garden Retailer. Contact her at [email protected].