Don't Let Summer Stall Out

Judy Sharpton

The good ole summertime? Not for many in the garden center industry. While customers who couldn’t get enough just a few months ago entertain themselves with almost anything except gardening, those who work full time in garden centers slog away in steamy greenhouses among plants that can’t get enough water. Beyond the conditions, most staff members (and owners) are just plain tired. The spring rush takes a toll on people and the store.

It’s hard to imagine all this discomfort when the season is at its peak. It’s even harder to imagine summer if spring isn’t all it could be. Either way, summer looms as that “time after” the busy season.

Because summer is not as intense as spring (and may never be), the impetus is to let it go. Customers have gone off to the beach or to the lake. Suppliers are sold out and many don’t even bother with weekly availability.

But here’s the problem—the time after spring is now an essential selling season if the store is to remain viable.

That’s why I’m fast-forwarding you into the “time after” right now. Instead of just letting the summer selling season slide into another season of malaise, let’s think about it right now before we’re too tired and the greenhouse is too hot.

Start by taking a good look back at last summer, defined in most markets as some time after Mother’s Day. Whenever you start summer, start with the numbers: what was the customer count and average sale for the three or four months you define as summer? For most garden centers, both numbers will be lower than the frenzied spring, and sometimes less than event-based fall or specialty-based holiday. Set some goals now: a reasonable increase in customer count and a manageable uptick—say 10%—in average sale.

With those goals in mind, it’s time to develop some strategies to drive the goals. Here are a few options:

Customer loyalty incentives—Whether you provide an electronic or old fashioned “play money” option, distributing incentives during the spring season that may be redeemed during the summer season is a tried-and-true method for bringing customers back to the store. Have plenty of full-price items that can maintain margins even with a discount.

Product-based events—Some of our most enticing products are at their peak in the summer: roses, hydrangeas, perennials. While summer isn’t the best time to plant, we do know customers respond to plants in bloom. Summer is the time to offer these plants in made-for-summer containers. When you cross-merchandise these summer containers with summer entertaining, the customer can be encouraged to refresh spring deck planters and hanging baskets for summer color. The key is inventory management. Now is the time to discuss availability for summer products with suppliers, some of whom will have nothing. By discussing these event-based promotions now, you can partner with vendors who want to help you this season.

Vegetable gardening—Summer is the time to focus on the success of vegetable gardening. To do that, you must plant your display vegetable garden now. It doesn’t have to be big. Containers and raised beds are the best choices in order to sell the support products your customers need for these easy summer gardens. Vegetable display gardens also offer event opportunities to tie in food and gardening. If you can cross-merchandise grow-your-own with a fresh vegetable market for those who didn’t install a vegetable garden earlier in the year, all the better.

Electronic communication—None of these strategies will be effective if you can’t talk to your customers in order to create urgency and immediacy. Collect every email.

Introducing these plans now, at the next staff meeting, focuses your attention beyond the spring frenzy and into a selling season that offers opportunities for building customer count and average sale. And that’s particularly important if spring isn’t all it should be. GP

Judy Sharpton, LEED Green Associate and member of ARCSA, is a garden center design and renovation specialist with 35 years experience in advertising and promotion, and is the owner of Growing Places Marketing.