The Garden Center Group presented another round of Retailers’ Choice Awards at the Southern Nursery Association’s new SEGreen 2016 conference. Check out this year’s winners.

The second of the fall Griffin Expos takes place this week in Lancaster, PA, on September 21-22. If you're heading to this distributor show, make sure you check out these highlights.

Recent studies show that trees are an outrageously powerful good for humankind. Luckily, tree sales are already on the increase. If your customers are aware of these kind studies, those sales may continue to soar.

The Retailers’ Choice Awards, once again coordinated by The Garden Center Group, were presented to nine exhibiting companies at the 2016 Farwest Show.

Steve Bailey says the sweet spot in pricing, that proverbial ideal price for your center, is tricky. Price it too high, and the units sold may drop. Price it too low, and you might not sell any more units than at a higher price.

It’s a busy week, with three distributor shows scheduled. If you’re heading Arett Sales, BFG Supply, or the Prince Fall Booking shows, we’ve got the inside scoop on what you’ll not want to miss. Arett Open House Atlantic City, September 11 to 13 Arett’s annual Open House event includes plenty of food and exhibitors (there’s more than 400 booths). There are three keynotes lined up. Kicking off on Sunday, retail motivational speaker Bob Phibbs will fire everyone up with his talk, “You Can Compete.” during a brunch. On Monday, consultant Ian Baldwin will get down to details in his “The Applied Science Of Winning Market Share.” And AmericanHort’s Jennifer Noble will offer the final keynote, asking retailers, “What If We Knew The Future?” And you’ll want to make sure you attend the evening entertainment: Sunday: Happy hour, dinner and live jazz on the show floor. Monday: Dinner at the Tropicana Hotel. BFG Expo […]

When our panel of experts (Dr. Charlie Hall, Texas A&M, Dr. Bridget Behe, Michigan State University, Consultants Steve Bailey, Ian Baldwin, and Sid Raisch) and I put together a pricing survey, we were curious about which plants retailers were most likely to change the price on. In other words, what’s most likely to be put on sale? Which categories are most likely to have increased prices due to the perceived value? Value-Added Plants Let’s start with value-added plants. Before the survey, most of us thought trendy plants, combo gardens, and large plants would be near the top of the list. We were partially right. Big plants and container gardens are at the top. But succulents and mini plants weren’t even close to the top. The four plant categories that are most likely to have perceived-value pricing applied are: Container Gardens Shrubs Large Perennials Trees Not surprisingly, container gardens leads the pack. About 72% of retailers say […]

Less than a year ago, Greenhouse Grower RETAILING launched. We’d love to get your feedback on how we can improve, and what we should continue doing.  

When Greenhouse Grower RETAILING asked plant retailers about their plant pricing techniques, we also asked if they use POS or not. We decided to take a close look at where these two groups differ:

The first of the fall Griffin Expos takes place this week in West Springfield, MA, August 31 and September 1, 2016. A Lancaster, PA, Expo will take place next month. If you’re heading to this distributor show, make sure you check out these highlights: White Elephant Sale Each year, Griffin clears out its branch warehouses by holding a sale of its closeout and overstock items. The discounts are deep, and the competition for the items are fierce. “Once items are gone, they’re gone. So, that first hour or so is kind of like ‘the running of the brides’ at Filene’s,” says Tracey Gorrell, Marketing Communications Lead at Griffin. On-Site Experts Griffin offers opportunities to connect face-to-face with industry experts and get answers, tips, and advice catered to your unique needs and interests: The GGSPro team is available to field your questions; and 150 manufacturers, breeders, and young-plant producers can discuss […]

Fire crews were called to Seattle-based Swanson’s Nursery in the middle of the night on August 22, the Ballard News Tribune reported. The fire, likely started by an “electrical issue,” destroyed bathrooms and a seminar room, Retail Manager Eric Nordstrom told the news outlet. Smoke damage was more extensive, however. Swanson’s President, Brian Damron says the fire also reached a storage area and utility room. A fire department spokesman says the fire broke through the greenhouse walls, and that part of a wooden wall had to be removed so the crew could reach the flames. The store’s café resides next to the damaged area, and is temporarily closed. It’s an important part of Swanson’s off season revenue strategy. The store is working with a timeline of repairs with its insurance company so it can determine when the cafe can reopen, the news outlet reports. The fire was out relatively quickly once […]

Greenhouse Grower RETAILING's pricing survey finds that the most profitable pricing method is used by only 8% of plant retailers.