7 Ideas To Sell Fairy Gardening
The miniature gardening trend shows no signs of slowing down. Although it has been a big topic among garden retailers for a few years now, it hasn’t reached its peak of popularity.....
6 Myths About Social Media Marketing
Over the past five years, social media has become an increasingly important part of many companies' marketing strategies. But there are still some misconceptions about how to use social media to drive sales and which services are worth the investment of company time and re....
Cheap Tricks: Treats from Germany
The Essen trade show in Germany resulted in trendy ideas that translate across the trans-Atlantic as well.....
Popcorn Plant and Braided Sanseveria
These plants may not ever be mainstream, but they will have their niche among consumers who are looking for something different.....
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Family Businesses
Chances are, as a member of the Green Industry, you either own, work for, or have owned or worked for a family business at one point or another. In fact, more than two-thirds of respondents to the Landscape Management Family Business Survey, conducted in January, said they....
Take a Look Around
Google's Business Photos program — 360-degree interactive panoramas of the interiors of businesses, can be seen on Google Maps and Google+ Local pages. They can also be embedded into your company’s website. According to Google, this interactive feature allows &....
11 Tips On How To Successfully Evolve
So many of Four Season Greenhouse & Nursery’s successes stem from ideas and advice from fellow retailers, Gail and Vic Vanik want to give a little back with these eleven tips.....
What’s Trending Now
Chris Beytes and Jennifer Zurko hit the road to find out what’s hip, trendy and new for Spring 2013.....
Customer Complaints
You may be tempted to view negative feedback as a nuisance. But, if you respond the right way, it's a gift.....
Increase Marketing Power with Minnesota Grown
Do you grow trees, bushes, shrubs, flowers or other plants and sell them directly to consumers? Join the Minnesota Grown program! We have been around since the 1980’s and have grown to include over 1,200 members. Our members range from Christmas tree growers, garden c....
ANLA Hosts Affordable Care Act Webinar February 26th
ANLA is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 11:00 AM ET, looking at the impact on our industry of the Affordable Health Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." John Satagaj, ANLA's longtime small business tax and healthcare expert, will address what i....
How A New Wave Of Mobile-Social Commerce Has Powered Online Retail
For all the talk of the "death of traditional retail," due to online shopping, e-commerce is still a relatively small part of the American retail scene. In 2011, e-commerce accounted for a scant 4 percent of American retail sales. It is, however, growing faster t....
How to Reconnect Your Customers to Nature
“Make it your job to let them know you’re there for them to take a stroll, spend their lunch break, indulge the senses,” Annie Kirk says. Make them aware that you’re “invested in their well being ... and that you have an inventory that can mak....
The Harley-Davidson Effect
Despite what you hear on the 24-hour news cycle, things are improving (slowly). We are definitely in a pattern of one step forward and a half-step backward. Not only is the green industry beaten and bruised by the housing depression, it is also working through some profoun....
Color Corollary
“If we don’t inspire people to the possibilities, they’ll always want the pastels and primary colors, because they won’t know what else they can have. We’ve got to stop handicapping ourselves and decide to make a conscious market differentiatio....
18 Garden Center Issues You Need To Address In Your Business — Today
This is the third annual edition of Sid Raisch’s Open Letter to garden centers. This year he addresses suppliers as well. Here are the issues Sid thinks you need to be addressing in your business — today.....
Kid-Friendly Displays
Check out which products the Cleveland-based Petitti Garden Center carries to appeal to its youngest customers.....
Why Set Pricing by Container?
Few things frustrate me more than seeing price by container. Yes, container size is one indication of the value of a plant, but are all _______ worth the same price? (Fill in the blank with your favorite item, e.g. petunia, poinsettia, palm, portulaca, pine or primula.) Yet....
Northern Green Expo 2013: Garden Center & Business Management Seminar Highlights
Garden Center & Business Management Seminar Highlights
To view the entire schedule-at-a-glance and seminar descriptions for the sessions below, visit the new interactive schedule online at www.NorthernGreenExpo.org .
Keynote....
New and Improved Plants
Regardless of how many choices are available, demand for new selections of landscape plants by the public and landscape design professionals seems insatiable. Fortunately plant breeders are working behind the scenes to develop and introduce new plant selections in an atte....
Tell Customers Why Houseplants Make Them Healthier
The holidays and winter are the perfect time to promote houseplants. They help anchor all the other products sold during those months to a garden center's core business, even when holiday decorations dominate.....
Earn attention, familiarity and trust with social media
One of the reasons you may be less effective than you could be with your social media marketing is that it works much like a traditional medium you probably have little or no experience with—television. However, as a television viewer and consumer yourself, you have ....
Letter from a Frustrated Retailer
I was tired of waiting for times to get better. For folks to want to spend their money again. I was tired of making excuses. For them. For me. For the nursery. The economy is bad. The weather is bad. The world is bad. But I believe it’s a chicken-and-egg kind of ....
5 Signage Ideas You Need To Steal
The most show-stopping signs encourage people to buy. Five retailers are using signs to push everything from gift cards to product knowledge. Check out these signage ideas and implement the best ones at your shop.....
Diversification Turns Garden Center's “Off” Season Into an “On”
In 2009, 78 per cent of KJM's gross sales were made in the high-season months of April, May and June, and just 12 per cent was generated during the low season. By 2011, that split had turned to 59 per cent of revenue generated in the high season and 41 per cent in the low ....
Older Adults and the Benefits of Gardening
Gardening is a popular leisure-time activity for American adults 65 years old or older and gardening may benefit the health of those who garden. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 30 minutes of moderat....
Low Prices Do Not Sell More Plants
Today’s Garden Center commissioned a university study to learn how price sensitive customers really are to plants. The results are in: low prices do not sell more plants.....
Monrovia Brand Will Be In Lowe's
Monrovia Growers will pull its non-branded plants out of Home Depot and will instead display its branded plants in Lowe's nationwide. But the new agreement may surprise you.....
Mixed Up Magic
In the wide world of retailing, generic products and branded products typically sit side by side. Carolyn Dixon, Burpee Home Gardens sales manager, calls it the “good, better, best” approach. In fact, most independents and hardware stores have used the strategy ....
Up-And-Coming Varieties for 2013
This month, take a look at five game-changing plants from the 2012 California Spring Trials. Although these stunning annuals, perennials and edibles won’t be available until 2013, your customers are sure to think they’re worth the wait.....
Turning The Millennial Generation Into Gardeners
One in three members of the Millenial Generation, the group falling between the ages of 17 and 34, has a tattoo. They're into self-expression, community and the environment. They don't want to make a bad spending decision. So how can we reach that next generation and make ....
Merchants May Get Credit Card Surcharge Rights
Every time a customer pays with plastic, the business pays for the privilege to swipe the card. But that soon could change. According The Wall Street Jounal, a number of merchant-filed lawsuits against the credit card companies Visa and Mastercard may result in a settlement....
DOL releases new FMLA guide for employees and employers
Good news for employers struggling to explain the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to employees. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released an Employee Guide to the FMLA, a 16-page, plain language booklet designed to " answer common FMLA questions ....
Retail Sales Declined For A Second Month In May
Retail sales in the U.S. fell in May for a second month, prompting economists to cut forecasts for economic growth as limited job and income gains hold back consumers. The 0.2 percent decrease matched April’s drop that was previously reported as a gain, Commerce Depa....
Video: Vegetables And The Wellness Trend
Rhoads Farm Market partnered with a local hospital, getting involved in the community, creating new customers, and making sales on those slow mid-week days.....
Fairy Gardening Is Still A Winner
Store owner Ned Wilson discusses his best-selling miniature plants and gardening products and why he includes the category in his store.....
New Study Reveals Best Social Media for Search Ranking
Which social media outlets are most effective? Search engine optimization (SEO) company TastyPlacement put the networks to a not-totally-scientific but still revealing test, pitting Google+, Facebook and Twitter against each other.....
Ad Campaigns That Changed Marketing
Take a look at five ad campaigns that changed the marketing game. These companies knew how to get creative in order to reach larger, more diverse audiences.....
It's #GrowSomething Week – Be Part of a Social Media Takeover
Did you know that the smell of soil acts as a natural antidepressant? The Atlantic posted a story about how gardening can boost your mood, and it was one of the many articles shared during the first two days of #GrowSomething week .
More about the #GrowSomething camp....
Green Industry Wage and Benefits Survey Findings
Considering the continued uncertainties in the economy, the news is pretty good.....
How Much Will Consumers Pay for Biocontainers?
How can greenhouse growers capitalize on consumers' concern about the environmental impact of packaging? This video takes a look at research on how much more consumers are willing to pay for biocontainers.....
Wisconsin Retailer Gets Creative With Its Signage
Hawks Nursery in Wauwatosa, Wis., found the perfect outdoor display for its tree department. The wood post, which is capped with a finial that matches the architectural style of the rest of the outdoor area, holds up a sturdy framework where its customers can peruse all of....
A Novel Selection of Big Bluestem Should Thrill Native Plant Enthusiasts and Garner Grassroots Attention
Read the full report in the MNLA Foundation's "Research for the Real World" series.....
The four benefits of multi-channel retailing
Creating a successful multi-channel experience can seem intimidating to many retailers, who may wonder if the effort is worth it. They may not have a choice, however. "Consumers are expecting this kind of integration already," said Ron Bowers, senior vice presiden....
New Twists on Container Designs
Container designers and plant experts give their favorite substitute plants for those times when your first choice isn’t available or the old stand-by just isn’t cutting it anymore.....
Why Pinterest Should Matter to You
This most recent player in the field of social media might seem like it doesn't fit into your marketing model. Here's why you're wrong about Pinterest.....
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