Store Design

Becoming A Christmas Wonderland

Garden center retailers who do a seasonal manner like Christmas business face the monumental task of constantly transforming their retail operations without crippling existing year-round business. You need to develop a well-thought-out plan to successfully... more »

O Christmas Tree: Decorating Trees For Maximum Impact

It's almost that time of year again — time for Christmas trees and all the trimmings to come out and shine. But first you need to come up with amazing tree displays that will inspire... more »

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Tools Of The Trade

Whether they are avid gardeners or new homeowners just learning about the joys of tree, lawn and plant care, most garden center customers know that having the right tools makes the job easier. And while... more »

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Lighting The Way To Success

Many years ago when I was working as a stage designer creating scenery and lighting for Broad-way, film and television, I saw a production of Hamlet that changed my entire approach to the profession of... more »

Applied Aesthetics: The Art Of Seeing

A visual signature is a sought-after icon. Think of certain visual images, and the name of an artist often comes to mind. All we have to mention are sunflowers to evoke Van Gogh. An American... more »

The Not-So-Big Garden Center: The Customer Has To Park

It comes as no surprise that our economy is driven by driving. You only have to compare the number of shopping trips taken on foot and the number taken in cars to see this fact.... more »

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Targeting Locational Demographics

Demographics, or the statistical characteristics of human populations used to identify markets, are of utmost im-portance to garden centers, especially those expanding into new areas. Demographics can determine a lot for retailers: Depending on a... more »

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Borrowing Merchandising Tips

Why do we approach a store? Why do we buy more than what was on our lists when we got there? Do we traverse the maze of merchandise of our own accord or are subtle... more »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »