What will bring customers in to your store?

Of course sunshine is the obvious one but as we don’t have control over that then try something else. One big thing for this season should be EVENTS, both within the store and outside of it. Most stores do the usual talks and demos, and with so many retailers competing with each other for customers you need to stand out from the crowd. What most businesses need is an event manager, either in-house or an external company. You need people who know how to draws potential customers into your store. In general the wackier, more fun and less like hard work the event is the better. So, for example, invite a visiting circus to visit you. Think jugglers juggling flower pots, clowns doing face painting, camel rides, elephant manure, stilt walkers watering your hanging baskets and so on! Pop-up shops have become more popular too, both as a way of selling stock and also of building brand awareness. They require more than a little planning and an excellent – not just good – location but they can pay dividends for both the pop-up and the main store. Brand awareness has also become a major issue with many retailers, especially the larger ones where the signs and adverts for franchisees and suppliers have become bigger than those of the store itself. An issue I have spotted with some of aforementioned pop-up shops is the almost total lack of branding to link the store to its parent store – a major mistake. (Part of an article on Trends & Thoughts 2012, more to follow...)

Inspiration Everywhere...

You can find retail inspiration everywhere you go... I was wandering down a street in suburban Antwerp last week and came across this shop.

Look at the plants. Look at the pots. Look at the name and lettering. Take a closer look at the window...

Spot the apples yet? The butterflies? Look inside the door...

As I say, you can be inspired anywhere!

GLEE 2011 - Are you ready?

GLEE in the NEC in Birmingham is fast approaching and although the show is smaller than it was a few years back it still takes time and organisation to get around it efficiently. So here's a few tips from a GLEE veteran... Make a list of the suppliers you HAVE to see at the show and get them out of the way first. If possible book time with them before hand and keep to a schedule. Don't waste time with suppliers who you don't need to see - those who will call to you for example - be friendly but tell them to make an appointment to see you over the next few weeks. Leave a good deal of time, at least half, to looking for/at new lines and categories that would be a good addition to your present offering. Take their details but not their catalogues, get them to post them to you or you will be wore down! Don't forget to network with other garden centres with regard to proven lines and tips for new suppliers. Take a chill-out break every now and again - get some fresh air outside or in the centre courtyard - and most importantly, wear comfortable shoes!

Watch Out for the Tumble Weeds!

I've been very neglectful of my Blog over the last few months, I've been busy, but that's no excuse. Things have eased of a bit now so I have a little breathing space to catch up.
I promise to post at least once a month from now on!

Grow Your Own - Sell Up

GYO has been going strong for a number of years now and although some who started down this road have fallen by the wayside there are many who have stuck with it and are ready to commit to it in a more serious way. Don't forget these customers when purchasing stock. A €99 poly tunnel is the very least that they could commit to, not to mention large greenhouses or heaters. Make sure you keep serious GYOers happy and make a few bob too!

Trends 2011 - The Return of the DIYer

Where DIFM (Do It For Me) was the trend of the Noughties we are returning back to the 1980s and early 1990s when DIY was king. The problem is that a whole generation has grown up without knowing how to dig with a spade, let alone prune an apple tree or lay paving. Educate these DIY beginners with simple to follow leaflets, effective signage on products and demonstration events. Don’t assume customers know how to Do It Themselves! I know many people who can’t even use a hammer correctly, strangling it near the head instead of holding it at the grip.

(Excerpt from article for trade magazine.)