What is a typical day like for you? I start by checking e-mail and Facebook, and answering customer inquiries. I update the website, and write and take photos for e-mails, blog posts and print ads. All of this happens between sharing horticultural information with customers....READ MORE
To excel with a truly unique garden center in the Portland area is a bit of a tall order. Between that certain Bohemian buzz of the renovated city and the lush growing climate, gardens and decent garden centers are not unique here. Yet The Garden Corner accomplishes its goal in Tualatin, OR, an enjoyable drive south of the city. "Eclectic" is surely this store's middle name, with a willingness to even be a bit weird in the name of expression. This piece of retailing art-in-the-works succeeds....READ MORE
Bowood Farms' sister team isn't afraid to introduce offerings that are outside the box. "We like to play around and experiment with different things," says Assistant General Manager Lizzy Rickard, 35. One of the many chances Gift Buyer and Merchandiser Katherine McPheeters, 31, took last year was buying nail polish, about 30 colors, for the store. Rickard says, "It's naturally based, so it's on trend with our philosophy of offering really unique, quality items."...READ MORE
Natorp's Nursery Outlet 8601 Snider Road, Mason, OH www.natorpnurseryoutlet.com Natorp's Nursery Outlet's new retail concept is streamlining operations and creating a standout shopping experience that will bring customers back season after season. The company decided to shed its two retail garden centers and focus on its 150-acre nursery, where customers can shop among a million plants during the fall and spring seasons. Natorp's adopted the model last autumn after seeing its weeklong fall outlet sale make more money than one of its retail locations did in a year....READ MORE
Blogging should be at the center of your garden center's marketing campaign. A blog - short for "web log" - is a necessary part of your online identity because it is the virtual spot where you plant your branding seed. It's an online diary that you're willing to let others read and comment on. Use it to share your knowledge and accomplishments. This is a place to refer people to and a way to showcase your ideas and work....READ MORE
