Springing Your Sales Forward
Spring is here! OK, technically it’s not actually here as I write this in February — it’s about 20° F outside here in western Pennsylvania and our friends to the south are still assessing the damage from a series of bad winter weather. But by the time this hits the streets, it will indeed be spring!
So how is your store preparing for spring sales? I came across an interesting blog post on “The Retail Doctor” Bob Phibbs’ blog recently — he asked readers to share creative ways retailers are attracting customers back to their stores.
Amid the typical suggestions of doing Facebook Lives and creating (and regularly updating) a YouTube channel for your store — two things many IGCs are doing very well (shout outs to Milaeger’s and Petitti Garden Centers, respectively, for being great examples of how to do this) — he had some less common ideas. These included expanding those Facebook Live stories into live shopping events, during which customers could click on an item as it was being discussed. To do this, he says: “Go through Facebook ‘Live shopping’ in the Facebook Live producer and use an external camera. Then have your products in a Facebook shop that links to your website.”
Also in This Issue
When it comes to PPP loans, it is important to turn to a professional to discuss any tax implications or possible loans businesses may apply for assistance during the pandemic. Get the scoop on what you need to know here.
I’m sure you’ve heard that the signage in your store serves as a silent employee — so don’t you want to make sure it’s doing its job well? Here, we have four ideas for how to improve your IGC’s signage before the spring rush.
Selling the family business can be a difficult time for all; Theresa Riley, co-owner of Rockledge Gardens shared with me her thoughts on selling the family business and advice for other IGCs considering their future. Click here for the story.
How is your garden center prepping for spring sales? Are you introducing tech into your selling or embracing social media in a new way? Drop me a line at [email protected].
Videos
