Running an inventory-based business can be a frustrating numbers game, especially for a retail garden center with multiple locations that must contend with the seasonality of its products.

For Pike Nurseries, which operates 18 locations throughout Georgia and North Carolina, the issue of inventory and sales tracking is made more manageable with the help of Epicor Software. Pike Nurseries has been working with Epicor since 2008, and buyer Mark Malaguerra says the system gives him and other Pike buyers and managers the information they need to make critical inventory decisions.

“[With Epicor software], you can look at sell-through, especially on seasonal products. You can look at your year-to-date sell-through as compared to where you were in the same time frame last year,” Malaguerra says. “You can then gauge on your sell-through if you are lagging behind, what strategy you need to take, whether it needs to be a sale or if it needs more advertising or whatever.”

Knowing how certain products and product categories perform at different times of the year is must-have knowledge when planning clearances and new buy-ins, Malaguerra says. Epicor’s software in particular is flexible in the different types of reports it can generate.

“I don’t know how [a garden center], especially a garden center with multiple locations, can keep on top of what’s selling and what the inventory levels are, where the opportunities are, when something needs to be put on sale [without software like Epicor’s],” he says. “It really depends a lot on what exactly you’re looking for in those reports because the ability to design reports is endless.”

These data reporting capabilities are especially helpful for tracking highly seasonal products like Christmas trees and holiday décor, Malaguerra says.

“Those categories are ones I really have to keep track of because there’s nothing worse than a wreath on December 26,” he says. “So, that’s where we really use it, to determine our order quantities when we bring [a product in], when we promote it, and when we clearance it.”

In addition to being able to go into sales records for detailed, specific reports, Pike Nurseries staff also benefit from automatic briefings delivered on a regular basis. Malaguerra says these features of Epicor software help him stay on top of day-to-day operations.

“We also have a lot of reports that are auto-generated that are emailed to the people who need to know; whether it’s just the daily sales or the dashboard reports that have a breakdown of sales by department, how you’re comparing this year to last year, how your margins are, what your initial margins are, what your spoilage is,” he says. “We get those reports weekly. It just really helps.”

To stay competitive in the 21st century, retailers need modern tools. Epicor software gives Pike Nurseries the digital tools necessary to be in the know about their inventory.

“I’ve been in the business many years, and the old system of just walking around and seeing what sold — you miss things. Or, you may not have realized you sold something, but the only way you sold it was you marked it down and sold it at cost,” Malaguerra says. “I know there are a lot of systems out there, and we’ve been happy with the Epicor system. It’s really helped us with our profitability. We make the decisions, but the system gives us the raw data that allow you to make those critical decisions.”

Doug Danielsen says the reason he’s been selling Bailey Nurseries’ First Editions Plants since they were introduced to the market is very simple — they sell.

“They are high-quality plants. They are in great condition,” says Danielsen, who has been a nursery buyer for Bachman’s, based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., for 14 years. “We’ve never had any issues with them. Bailey supplies a top-notch product, and that’s one of the reasons we go with them.”

Strawberry Sundae hydrangea, which boasts flowers that emerge vanilla and transform over the season to a light pink and finally a deep strawberry color, is one of Danielsen’s favorite plants and thrives in his own garden. Hydrangea is the leading shrub at Bachman’s, and Strawberry Sundae is one of the five best-sellers they carry.

“Strawberry Sundae is a great color, and it’s a great size. It doesn’t get very big,” he says. The plant grows 4 to 5 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide.

Another standout plant for Danielsen that is also popular with customers is Technito Arborvitae.

“That’s a great evergreen. It’s a full-growing arborvitae, it’s great for hedges, and it’s good for smaller spaces,” he says. “That’s one strategy in the landscape industry — plants for smaller locations — and Strawberry Sundae and Technito are two plants that fit that bill for us.”

Other First Editions plants are also top sellers at Bachman’s, including Little Devil, their most popular ninebark, resulting in quicker turns for Bachman’s shrub department.

Not only does Bachman’s carry First Editions in its six retail stores, but the company grows the plants and incorporates them into landscape designs. In addition to the retail locations, Bachman’s has a landscape division, floral department and a 670-acre growing facility.

“We wouldn’t grow them if we didn’t like them,” he says. “We have people asking us for [First Editions Plants], and if we have customers asking for them, we know we need to carry them.”

Bailey Nurseries is based right in Bachman’s backyard in St. Paul, Minn., which makes working with them convenient and efficient. Both businesses are also fifth-generation, family-owned companies, and customer service is a priority for Bailey. When Danielsen needs a plant quickly, it doesn’t take long for Bailey to send his order, an essential quality he looks for in a supplier.

“They are an easy company to work with, and it’s a really good relationship,” he says. “The plants don’t sit on the ground. We sell a lot of them, and that’s the kind of plant we want to have.”

If variety is the spice of life, then Calloway’s Nursery buyers are very pleased with the assortment of seed packets they’ve purchased from Botanical Interests over the years.

Calloway’s offers nearly 500 varieties from the company, a selection that includes organic, non-GMO seeds and an array of herb and vegetable categories.

“We have blends for wildflowers and can buy region-specific seeds that grow in our area,” says Rebecca Weller, a buyer with Calloway’s. “That takes away the headache of mixing and matching ourselves.”

The garden center has been selling Botanical Interests’ traditional and organic products since 2010. Accommodation is key to this relationship, as Weller is able to pick up individual seed types when necessary.

“We can get different seeds as we need to replenish them, rather than buying a whole new set of seeding panels,” Weller says. “This is fantastic, because we can have popular items back in stock within a few days.”

Calloway’s seed packets move quickly, in part because the company’s unique packaging is a magnet for customers.

“The package is very artful and fits in with the higher-end line of the store,” Weller says. “There’s been a huge response for the product because of the branding.”

The seeds inside the pretty packaging are also a good value for the money. The store has experienced strong sales in organic cilantro and basil, with naturally grown catnip and cat grass standing as additional big sellers.

“We sell lots of blue bonnets, too, although those aren’t organic,” says Weller, who uses the product in her own home garden. “People speak with their wallets and have given us a huge increase in seed sales.”

Botanical Interests’ seed packets are not available in big-box stores, another distinction that Calloway’s patrons appreciate. From a buyer’s perspective, Weller is grateful for smooth seasonal change-outs and assistance with selecting new seeds from a friendly customer service representative.

“The company is easy to work with and always makes sure the work I have to do is minimal,” Weller says.

Hicks Nurseries sells thousands of roses annually though its commercial division, from climbers to hybrid teas to various landscape-friendly offerings. While these varieties have their fans, Flower Carpet roses from Tesselaar Plants have blossomed as a favorite among home gardeners and professional landscapers alike.

Buyer Alison Caldwell estimates that 20 percent of the nursery’s commercial flower sales are derived from Flower Carpet, largely due to the varieties’ disease resistant properties and ease of maintenance. The drought-tolerant roses also perform well in Long Island’s summer heat and humidity, displaying a happy scarcity of black spots, powdery mildew or rust.

“I’ve been buying these roses from several different growers over the years, and they’re constantly healthy,” Caldwell says. “The foliage always stays clean and attractive, even when the plant isn’t in bloom.”

The top-selling perennial excels in the looks department, too, Caldwell says. Unlike other roses that provide variations of the same color, Flower Carpet’s color selections are clear and distinct. Additionally, the plants have a deeply serrated, glossy green foliage that carries a colorful tinge depending on petal shade, bolstering the rose’s overall beauty.

“You have true yellow, red, pink, apple blossom, and shades like coral, amber or deep cherry red,” Caldwell says. “It’s a wide range.”

Though some gardeners place the versatile plant in pots, Hicks’ customers generally utilize Flower Carpet roses as the name implies, placing them low to the ground below a windowsill or using them to soften the edge of a deck. What’s more, the hearty rose can create a welcoming driveway border, withstanding not only high heat conditions (common along blacktop driveways) but winter road salt spray and snow plow damage, as well.

“It’s a great landscape rose, perfect for a smaller garden where you want the plant to stay low and spreading,” Caldwell says. “A product with this kind of foliage and flower is a remarkable thing to fit into your personal landscape. It’s a great all-around package.”