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Teaching Your Customer - Educating the Lost Generation

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Teaching the Customer

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What’s with the younger generation?

Once upon a time we were all young…a fact we quite often forget. Ok, so we were more likely to wear fleeces than hoodies, and communicated by phone or fax instead of tweeting and texting but we were still always looking for something new, different, challenging and exciting.

In the gardening sector we always bemoan the lack of new, younger consumers and worry that our core customers are literally dying off. So do we try to encourage new ones in any meaningful way?

Do we ever ask what young people want?

Convenience?
Advice?
Innovation?
Simplicity?
Low maintenance?
Entertainment?
Value?

I guess the answer is all of the above. Right?

BUT, we would be foolish to think that what applies to them doesn’t apply to others.

It is so easy to pigeonhole your consumers into Baby-Boomers, Generation X, Y or Z or whatever but that’s not being fair to any of these so-called demographics. We can generalise too much at times and often dismiss – and miss out on - a whole generation by assuming they are all the same.

How unfair.

Pick 20 of your friends and colleagues of a similar age. Are they all the same in how they purchase, use technology, what they watch and how they behave? I doubt it. So what has made us look at them as being the same apart from cliché driven consumer reports and the rantings of marketing gurus?

We need a C change in our perspective on how we look at demographics. Look at broader age groups and then look at the traits/wants/needs they all have in common. I would say you will come up with a list similar to what I have above, which we say only applies to ‘young’ consumers.

But when we think about it, it applies to 80% of customers.

So use modern social networking tools and e-commerce. Make your staff approachable and good communicators. Use effective, clever and inventive merchandising to capture sales. Educate with simple clear POS. Encourage consumers with young families to educate their children by being uber family friendly.

It’s true that most of the younger generation don’t see themselves as gardeners, at least not yet, but they are consumers and an important part of our sector’s future.

Just don’t assume things about your customers based on their age, it’s a lethal mistake.

What's your missing ingredient?

Last months good weather led many outside the sector to believe that garden centres were raking in the dough but we all know that it's still a long hard slog back to a position that you could call 'comfortable' - if such a position really exists...

The only way forward is to keep pushing and changing constantly in order to make the most from your customers.


Although I know it's a trite comparison, making sales is a lot like baking a cake. You need all of the right ingredients for it to come together.

Missing something? Then we're the larder to your kitchen!

From purchasing, promotions and sales, through signage and merchandising via layout and a host of other ingredients we can steer you in the right direction.

We're well known for stirring things up too!

Now all we need is a little heat to bake that cake then ..... pass the cream!

Change

We seem to have gone from feast to famine and back again over the last few months! Now the weather has broken again and this might have happened just at the right time to keep things moving and interesting.

Garden centre retail is still challenging but the fact that customers do frequent garden centres and buy when the weather is good is a cause for optimism, and a good sign for the future.

There is still no doubt that radical change is need in our business but at least we have a little impetus now to make those changes...

Don't we?

Selling with Sound

Our senses play no small part in our decision to purchase. Think about how the smell of freshly baked bread, the feel of a soft leather couch, even the colour of a car can influence your choice of purchase. Yet sound is rarely used by retailers to stimulate sales. There is of course a science about how we use music in stores to slow customers down or speed them up, and how the choice of music itself can change the customer’s mood but there is a stage beyond that that is rarely exploited.

The gardening and lifestyle sector can employ sound to sell product better than most other retailers. Themed displays, impulse orientated product and the creative atmosphere within the store all lend themselves to the introduction of sound. With advances in technology we certainly have the ability to bring sounds to any part of the garden centre. Weatherproof speakers and affordable media players mean it’s easy to install a discreet, secure system within any display.

Simple examples as to how this would work could be something as obvious as playing birdsong at the wild bird product display, the sound of happy banter and clinking glasses in the furniture and barbecue area, or the sound of running water near the pond section. But there are even more imaginative things to try.

Many garden centres now merchandise plants by end use, so for example there should be a coastal plant section with all of the plants suitable for such a location. Wouldn’t it add an extra dimension to have coastal sounds there too? Imagine the sound of waves, sand and seagulls… surely this would at the very least make customers stop and smile and perhaps even make them purchase? It would also be a conversation point and a way of differentiating your garden centre from the hundreds of others out there. It doesn’t stop there of course, as that birdsong playing instore could be mimicked by the same sounds playing from the Plants for Wildlife display. Or how about farm sounds emanating from the ubiquitous farm animal ornament display that most garden centres now have? The really is no limit as to how sounds can be used.

So next time you’re planning your merchandising why not look at investing in a few speakers and players, and encourage everyone to come up with some ideas as to how they can add an extra dimension to their displays. With a bit of planning and thought it might get those tills ringing, a noise everyone likes to hear!

Sound like a good idea?

looking After The Bird in the Hand

With so much techie driven information being thrown at us from every angle it is very easy for garden centres to get too wrapped up in QR codes, e-shops and Facebook pages to the detriment of floor sales.

With such a dreadful start to the season, garden centres should be making the most from the dedicated souls that do venture in to their stores.

So it should be back to basics!

Skills such as up-selling, link-sales, effective merchandising and basic customer care should be at the forefront of any business at the moment. Garden centres need to be making the most of - and from - each and every customer that crosses their threshold, as these are customers with a purpose and purchase in mind. They are the seasoned gardeners not the impulse driven, fair weather ones that the sector relies on in good weather. They are the ones who will listen to your advice, and trust and act upon it.

Although the customer count may be down the customer spend should be up as staff should have more time to spend with them and sell to them, utilising all the tricks of the trade plus of course timely and relevant advice.

With less traffic through the store there should be no excuses for shoddy merchandising, not meeting and greeting customers and not practicing the lost art of selling. Apart from everything else it’s good practice and training for when the season does kick off.

Because it really is true about ‘The Bird in the Hand’, now more than ever.

Key points to remember:

• Make sure staff actively engage all customers with a smile
• Never miss an opportunity to up-sell or tag on that added sale
• Get staff to sell themselves as gardening gurus!
• Merchandising should combine inspiration with link-sales
• Don’t drop your prices but do have value promotions
• Don’t complain to customers about how quiet it is – be positive!
• Thank your customers for visiting with a little gift

Sad Signage?

It still amazes me what people write on their POS signage.

Too many words, negative comments such as 'Dislikes Lime' or 'Hates Sunshine', or worse again no sign at all or something that just says the Latin name of the plant and the price!

Your signs should give people a reason to buy your plants.

Does yours?

March On

After a cold February that seemed to only benefit bird care sales it's good at least that the sun is shining. If last weekend is anything to go by customers are finally coming out of hibernation.

Having said that, the garden centres doing best at the moment are the ones who are well stocked, running events and talks, and those with some on-site food offering.

Preferably all three...

Merchandising, link sales and hot offers are the key to taking advantage of the customers who do come in, so don't be left behind.

Have a great March and call me if you need any help.

Are you ready?

Although it was a pretty rotten January there is still a need for optimism for the coming season.

Good weather could be just around the corner and everyone needs to make the most of it when it comes.

Has your store had a good Spring clean?

Are you adequately stocked?

Have you created a promotion and event planner?

Are you ready to SELL?

Don't get caught on the hop!

Here's to a New Year

Take a close look at the object on the right of the screen. It is in fact a celestial body called 'The Sun'.

Perhaps if we all concentrate on it REALLY hard it might shine this year.

Happy Sunny New Year!

I am now booking Spring planning days so get in touch.

Liam

Inventing Eventing

I remember posting previously about how events would be very important to garden centres and other retailers this year and this has turned out to be very true.

And at this time of year the more family orientated events you can do - within reason - the better, so far as bringing people into the your store.

Of course that's only half the battle. Once they are in you need to entice, cajole and persuade them to part with their money. I hope you all have that sorted...

If not, give me a call!

New Logo Launch!

Just launched my new logo today.

I thought it needed a bit of modernisation and flair...

Will post a proper post soon.

5 Tips for Better Bulb Sales

It's almost that time of year again.

The wooden windmills, giant daffs and over-sized clogs need to be brought out of storage and dusted down. The stands stripped, cleaned and readied for the first delivery... and don't forget the 'Bulbs Galore' banner!

 Autumn bulb sales are such an important part of the garden centre season for many reasons; they help to kick start Autumn planting time, they add colour to your shop display, and most importantly, they are a great money maker and draw if done correctly.
 Too many people forget this last point and have let their bulbs order dwindle to next to nothing, a pitiful display just before the checkout.

 So here are a few tips to stimulate those bulbs sales:

Stock Up
Make sure you have enough lines to make a decent display. It's easy to get in to a downward spiral of less stock = less sales from one year to the next.


Make Room
Give over plenty of prominent space to your display, preferably close to your entrance from plant sales to the shop area. Don't forget that little bit of theatre too.


Colour Block
Apart from promotion ranges, it's better to colour block your core range than go with a boring A-Z. Apart from how it looks, colour blocking makes it much easier to merchandise and re-merchandise.


Link Sell
The above mentioned colour blocking makes it easy to tie coloured pots with bulb ranges, plus other added sales. Don't foget you need trowels and bulb planters with your bulbs as well as you tools. And don't forget the blood, fish and bonemeal!


Plan for Profit
Look at your profit and margin over the full bulb season. Take full margin, apart from a few offers, at the start of the season but don't be afraid to discount, and discount again towards the end of the season. You should still have a healthy margin when you check your final figures, and hopefully no stock if you get your timing right.
Oh, and use your EPOS system to weed out the slow sellers from the previous season and increase the winning lines.


 Ok, so there's a lot more to it than these few points but at least start thinking about what you can do to improve your sales.

 Enough preaching from me, go look at your bulb order again...

Hard Rain

As you can see my plan to post something at least once a month has gone slightly astray!

What a difficult season...

It really has been a year for getting the most from every single customer that passes the threshold.

Is your POS signage up to scratch?
How's your customer care and selling skills?
Link sales visible and pushed?
Good offers in place?

It has also struck me that this season has been a season for the avid gardener, as they are the only ones who will garden come hail, rain or - if we're lucky - shine.
Have you everything THEY want? Unusual plants, quality products and a good general range?

 Food for thought...

5 Tips to Increase Pot Sales

Stock Up! 
It's easy to get into a downward spiral of 'stock not selling so therefore I'll reduce stock quantities.' Before you know it you have just a few pots in a corner and you're wondering why your sales have dropped so much! I know it's often quoted but 'If you don't have it you can't sell it.'
Don't get trapped.

All Change
If stock isn't selling then reduce it, clear it and start again. Did you buy the right product to start with? For example terracotta sells best in the summer and blue doesn't sell much anymore. Have you asked your customers what they want?Have you the right supplier? Can they offer you value, range and service? If not then drop them and try someone new. Change is good.

Merchandise for the Eyes
Be clever, practical and creative with your pot display. Can your customers access all your pots? Are the themed by colour, style and type? Can you see all of them? Chances are you will answer 'No' to some of those questions...
Strip it down and start again!

The Missing Link?
Don't just have pots with pots, have pots with plants! Build pots into plant displays to increase link sales. Red square topped pots look great with Buxus cones, basic terracotta with herbs, strawberry pots with, er, strawberries. Then perhaps combine them together into a deal price.
Show it off to sell it.

Add-on to Add-up
Be a little pushy with add-on sales. Pots are an easy sell with plants. Have a stock of basic black stackable pots on offer at the checkout and get staff to suggest them to customers with appropriate plant purchases. The same is true for hanging baskets by the way!
If you don't ask... 

Of course these tip will only work if that large yellow ball in the sky comes out to play!

The Magic Sales Kingdom

I was in Disneyland Paris recently and what stuck most in my head, apart from the tune to "It's a small small world", was how well done everything was.
The place was tidy, well run and efficient. The "Cast Members" were incredibly nice, and not in a false way, and the shops so well stocked and merchandised. The Disney stores ability to hoover money from peoples pockets into their tills was incredible.
Ok, I know we are talking on a different scale but isn't it a pity that many garden centres can't aspire to even a little touch of the magic from The Magic Kingdom? Are the top garden centres here on a par with the top retailers and destinations in the world in general? We seem to lower the bar and give away star ratings based on comparisons to other centres and not other retailers or experiences.
This was brought home to me last year when I visited a garden centre which had been judged a week or so before my visit for the garden centre awards. It was three stars at best, but lo and behold when the awards were announced it had achieved a 5 star status!

I guess in the land of the blind the one eyed man IS king!

Not so in The Magic Kingdom...