Mesquite Valley Growers Nursery 8005 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ Shopper's Favorite The stage is set for this visit by the bold, colorful signage, the expertly designed and maintained front landscaping, and the directional arrows guiding me into the spacious paved parking lot. From the free bottles of ice cold water at the entrance to the smiling staffers at the checkout counters, this IGC retailer nails it.I find decor galore in the gift shop and intermingled with plant displays indoors and out....READ MORE
As the winds of winter give way to the blooms of spring, you should address a "perennial" question: "Is the entire staff at my garden center as knowledgeable about their jobs, our products, our mission and our current and potential customers as they should be?" Knowledge is cash, and each employee, regardless of their job, is a bank teller!...READ MORE
During the last few months, I've had the pleasure of working with garden centres on four continents. This has been a wonderful opportunity to take a global snapshot of the industry and look at what's going well - and what's not. The industry is doing better in some countries than others, but what intrigues me is when in the same country some garden centres are doing well and others are not. This is happening in a situation where the economy, consumer confidence and weather are the same. It's fascinating to see the differences....READ MORE
Making a place for foodies in your garden center is a natural fit, because to them, there is nothing more appealing than to pick and prepare vegetables without ever leaving home. It's truly evident when we see the wealthy locals flock to Tomatomania at Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar, CA, in the spring to buy their veggie seedlings. You couldn't give a tomato plant away 10 years ago, but now this opulent coastal town of Southern California is home to backyard gardens wherever there is enough space for a single tomato plant. What are the driving forces that are fuelling our love affair with cuisine? It depends on your age....READ MORE
Have you ever received an order that came differently than expected? How about an order that was delivered later in the season than you specified? Make sure you're proactive at the beginning of transactions, spelling out your expectations to the vendor, to avoid these sorts of challenges. Consider these tips as well before you place your next order: Specify the ship and cancellation dates. On the order form, explicitly state when the order is to be shipped with phrasing such as "ship as of May 1, 2013" and "cancel order if not shipped by April 30, 2013."...READ MORE
