Merchandising

March 2006

Catering To Clubs

Birds of a feather flock together — and then create birding clubs. There are so many individuals who enjoy observing and identifying birds in their natural environments that bird-watching clubs are coming together across the... more »

March 2006

California Here We Come

It is time for the California Pack Trials once again! For those who haven't been before, Pack Trials offers attendees a sneak peak at new and different varieties the participating companies have been cooking up... more »

March 2006

Nursery Supplies: Automated Control

The new automated environmental control systems have become so popular and useful in maximizing the quality and efficiency of greenhouses that the question is not whether you could benefit from an integrated control system but... more »

March 2006

UK Garden Retailing

Like many of my friends in the UK and United States, my family and I are spoiled for places to shop for our food, clothes and houseware products. While we all have regional and local... more »

March 2006

A Gift Market Overview

With so many gift shows throughout the year across the country, it can be hard to know which ones will suite your gift-purchasing needs: Some feature educational sessions or target specific regions, and some only... more »

January 2006

Walking Through a Promotional Wonderland

Consumers spend more for the winter holidays — Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa — than any other holiday. In fact, with consumers spending roughly $435 billion, holiday sales crush the nearest competition (back-to-school sales at approximately... more »

January 2006

Is Your Grass Greenest?

For many independent garden centers, lawn care products have become a small part of their product offerings, taking a distant backseat to such things as flowering plants, garden décor and even birding products. Perhaps the... more »

January 2006

Take The Plunge

Creating a water garden department is not hard and offers the opportunity for another significant profit center in the store and substantial cross selling from other departments. The water garden season extends from very early... more »

January 2006

Adding Some Fashionable Flair

Whether they are purely decorative or wholly functional, fashion accessories are now part of everyday life. If you're skeptical, count the different accessories you have used, worn or displayed today. People consciously and unconsciously choose... more »

January 2006

From Trash To Treasure

Broken plates, scratched CDs and tattered screen doors are items usually destined for the junkyard. Yet some inventive individuals use these and other typically discarded products in displays to create unique recycled garden décor. Economic... more »

January 2006

First Impressions: Costly Impressions

It's not a recent discovery that first impressions — such as curb appeal, parking lot design and maintenance — mean a lot when it comes to customers' perceptions of your store. But, what happens after... more »

Is an Onsite Workshop for You?

Is an Onsite Workshop for You?

The story of Bemis Farms Nursery is the story of an industry. Although the garden center is unique in its philosophy, presentation, products and personality, it is representative of the more than 17,000 independent garden... more »