Pohmer

August 2018
Stretching …

“Standing still” and “Breaking” are two polar opposites. It’s easy to visualize each end of the axis, whatever the activity. In between is stretching. Stretching is growth, Extending our reach. Becoming more resilient, limber and... more »

July 2018
You Didn’t Ask Me, but … !

This month I decided I had a few random thoughts that I wanted to share with you. Although they do not all fit into the same category, they are all important for the way you... more »

June 2018
Chore or Cherish?

Over the years, as the consumer psyche and behaviors have evolved and technology has changed the way they shop, we increasingly hear that the products our industry sells aren’t as relevant to the consumers’ lives... more »

May 2018
Invest Your Resources Wisely

There are a few things that you, your business and your customers never have enough of ... time, money and energy. There’s a limited supply of each of these, and we often don’t consider how... more »

April 2018
Why Are You Special?

Are you worth a special trip for the consumer to make? At the end of the day, that’s the one question that looms largest in the consumers’ minds and that will make the difference between... more »

March 2018
Price is What You Pay; Value is What You Get!

Over the years, you’ve seen and heard many folks in our industry, myself included, talk loudly and emphatically about the absolute necessity for every company to clearly state what their “value proposition” is for your... more »

February 2018
You Don’t Get a Second Chance

Here in Minnesota, winters are long and arduous. Sure, we still go out and play in the snow and on the ice, enjoying all sorts of winter sports. And, despite the snow and cold, people... more »

January 2018
A New Beginning

January, the dawn of a new year, is an opportunity to look back on 2017, processing what went right and what went wrong, identifying lessons learned and then looking forward with anticipation to the clean... more »

November/December 2017
Create Some Magic

When I ask independent retailers what their trade area radius is I often receive blank stares. Why is this important? Frankly, the more I try to understand, the more perplexed I become, sometimes to the... more »

September/October 2017
Right in Front of Your Eyes

In the wide world of retail, garden centers are truly unique. Though other product categories and industries have seasonal peaks where a disproportionate percentage of their sales occur (think toys at Christmas or formal wear... more »

August 2017
Words Matter …

I’ve been studying the retail marketplace and consumer thinking and behavior for many years in an effort to understand the way our industry thinks and responds to an ever-dynamic and changing competitive environment. Frankly, the... more »

July 2017
To Better Serve the Customer …

People in our industry are extremely fortunate to be able to work every day with products ... plants, trees, flowers and supporting hardlines categories ... that they truly love being involved with. Maybe it’s the... more »