Weather Or Not, There It Goes
Spring 2006 might be in the past, but for many, it was a season they will not long forget. The culprit? Weather. Whether it was good, bad or just so-so, weather was the talk of the trade this year. Retailers had basically every type of weather imaginable this spring torrential rains, floods, drought and even perfection for some.
How can we be so certain what people had to say? We asked. For the 2006 spring season review, we sent out a survey to a list of our subscribers to see how they fared during their number-one moneymaking season. We received 156 responses from retailers in all parts of the country and learned a lot about the ups and downs of the season.
Now remember, these results are not statistically significant because they did not come from a truly random sample. The responses were also anonymous, so no one will have to worry about getting singled out. And although we can’t extrapolate results representing the entire industry from this small sample, we can use this information as a good place to start.
I also wanted to give a quick thank you to all of the people who participated in this survey; it was a huge help by allowing us to report the most accurate information to you.
2006 Spring Season Overall
We asked respondents, “Overall, how was your 2006 spring season compared to last year?” Respondents gave an overwhelming response to this question. Even though some of the descriptive feedback was a little negative at times, the 2006 season may not have fared as badly as we all first thought.
Regional Responses
Region is very important in determining how the spring season went for garden centers, especially this year. The Northeast had rain and floods, the Midwest was almost perfect, the West had some rain and the rest of the country oscillated between extreme cold and heat almost on a daily basis.
Weather Check
With so many people discussing weather this year, we decided to ask garden centers the question, “Overall, how was the weather in your area this season?” There was practically a tie between perfect and rainy, with a .7 percent difference, which seems to be consistent with what everyone is saying.
Best Sellers
Everyone knows that in spring the main seller is typically plants. However, if your customers want a complete garden, there are a number of other products they need.
Obviously, we could not put every product garden centers sell on the list, so we chose some of the most common items. We also added another category so respondents could fill in the blanks with anything we may have missed.
*Respondents were able to give multiple answers.
New Trends
Although we have been publishing spring season reviews for several years, it continues to provide helpful information about the industry’s hottest trends. This year is no different. What we found out about trends confirms much of what we already knew. Consumers are busy, and they want gardening to be easy. However, they want their yards beautiful and upscale. The following trends were things we knew were coming; it just took a little longer to get the consumers on the bandwagon.
Do it for me. Con-sumers are increasingly interested in someone else doing their gardening for them. They want someone to come out to their homes and build their gardens, or they at least want someone to plan it for them. This is the whole landscaper/landscape design trend that is obviously becoming hot.
Container gardening. This trend was mentioned in the best-selling category because everyone wants it. From the survey results it also seems like consumers want container gardens all done up for them, a la the do-it-for-me trend. Consumers want container gardens in different shapes and sizes for different conditions, and they want it in a pretty pot.
Perennial sales. For the past several years, garden centers have been saying they cannot seem to get rid of perennials; well, this year was completely different. A number of respondents said they couldn’t seem to keep perennials on the shelves long enough. People were buying perennials before they were ready, and they were asking for more unique varieties as well.
Glazed pottery. Another trend that respondents raved about was glazed pottery. Consumers were coming in and specifically looking for a beautiful blue pot to go with their Fourth of July mixed container or the perfect red pot to complement their Memorial Day party décor. Customers wanted something to put on their porches to make them pop. Pots that are more upscale and décor related are the major part of the trend.
Stayin’ Alive
Not that this category is a big mystery, but it always seems to be of interest to readers. Every time we ask this question, the answers typically show that live goods do a lot better than hard in the spring, but this year seemed to be the extreme. Twenty-four percent of respondents said their sales were 90-percent live goods and 10-percent hard that is huge. Take a look to see what some of the other percentage differences were.
Breeder companies have been working very hard to make sure consumers know what plant brands are available. A lot of garden centers have gotten on the bandwagon and ordered those brands so customers can buy what they have seen in ads.
Staffing Up
There is no question you need to add spring-season help every year. The spring season for garden centers is like Christmas for all other retailers: Without extra help, you would not make it. However, when we asked respondents how many employees they add each year, the number was a little bit smaller than expected.
Successful Promotional/Marketing Strategies
Most garden centers cannot stage a successful season without some kind of marketing or promotional strategy. Most respondents said they do the normal promotions of open houses, loyalty programs, E-mail newsletters, newspaper, TV and radio ads, and word of mouth. But all retail outlets need something a little different and unique to bring in more customers. Below are some of the unique ideas respondents listed, and the graph shows how successful the strategies were.
“Senior Citizens Day, 20-percent off days for local large businesses and buy one, get one half price [sales]”
“Talk radio show spots on an outdoor show. Ads in the gardening section of one local paper and in the TV section of another. Word of mouth!”
“‘Thank you’ discount cards after the rush for teachers, law enforcement, major businesses, hotels, etc.”
“We worked extensively with our regional tourism groups to bring in coach tours. We offered them free seminars and shopping time.”
“We always try to have samples of products we sell on hand for customers. This seems to get them to try something new and come back for more. But more importantly, we work closely with the schools in the area on educating kids on gardening by growing their own veggies, and this gets parents interested also.”
“A virtual tour with local visitors bureau (we’re in a touristy area) and a virtual tour/Web site connection with Chamber of Commerce. [We also offer] a 20-percent-off coupon in the welcome basket for new businesses presented by the Chamber of Commerce.”
Spring Buying
The merchandise in your store did not magically fall from the sky, but there are a lot of places it could have come from. The survey asked where respondents do most of their spring buying. As you can see, vendors came in just above trade shows, but check out some of the other places not on the graph.
Different Next Year
One of the most interesting questions we ask retailers is, “Based on what you did this year, what do you plan on doing differently next year?” We got a variety of answers, but mostly respondents gave honest, good suggestions that others should take a look at. Though the main answer was “Pray for better weather,” there were some suggestions that could help you improve your business.
“Have umbrellas and more planted containers for sale.”
“Be more organized, spend more time developing a marketing plan, make more pre-made containers/hanging baskets and train employees earlier.”
“Streamline special order process, have more display beds, eliminate newsprint ads and implement a preferred customer program.”
“Bring product in earlier. Let customers know what selection will be available.”
“Control inventory and cut down initial spring orders. Order as we go and replenish what is needed.”
“Hire seasonal positions earlier… more emphasis on training, especially new hires. Re-fixturing key areas of the garden center and reworking our informational signage for green goods.”
“Stronger merchandising plan. Be more consistent and thorough with our branding; develop accountability and responsibility in our people.”
“Continue to try to create innovative packaging and displays that make it easier for customers to shop.”
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