There’s Room for Everyone

Jennifer Polanz

I’ve been to a lot of garden centers in my time (about 13 years in the industry). I’ve seen retailers with multiple stores all the way down to tiny, under-an-acre urban locations that merchandise to the ceiling to get everything in.

One thing I’ve come to realize is there’s room for everyone … with one caveat. There’s room for everyone, as long as you’ve got something unique to offer. I was recently talking with a retailer who owns one of those smaller operations that’s very specialized. He’s in a highly competitive market that also includes a larger independent with a couple of stores, as well as box stores. None of them concern him—in fact, he says he needs them. He needs his customers to be able to get all their other gardening stuff from those retailers and come to him for his specialized product.

It makes sense. No one store can have everything. It goes back to something Sid Raisch wrote for us at the beginning of the year: it’s all about knowing your store style and your customer base before you can begin to understand what to offer. Once you know that, then you can begin to fill your shelves confidently. In her guest column, Jessica DeGraaf takes that one step further, quoting Seth Godin in saying, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

Why are we talking about this now? Because it’s that time of year again—trade show and distributor show season. The time when owners, managers and buyers set out to make the purchases that will turn into cash next year, and hopefully, set you apart from everyone else. The products you select now help define your position in your marketplace.

This is the issue where we take a look at all the fun new stuff that’s being introduced for 2017. Ellen and Jen Z. hit the floor at IGC Show Chicago in August to find what’s new.

I mentioned Sid earlier. He’s back this month to identify challenges and solutions related to inventory control on live goods vs. hard goods, so our readers have some help alleviating those issues for next year. He makes some great points regarding buying both types of products, so don’t miss this story as you plan for next year.

It’s time to think about 2017 and what kind of retail operation you’re going to be. No matter what size, product selection, price or service you offer, make sure you have a clear value proposition for your customer. Be known for something in a positive way, regardless of what it is. GP