Garden retailers drill down on day two of The New Clinic

Day two of American Nursery & Landscape Association’s New Clinic began with a keynote address by William Taylor—writer, speaker and co-founder of Fast Company magazine. Immediately afterward, garden retailers gathered for a “drill-down” session to discuss Taylor’s presentation and explore real-life applications.

This drill-down session is one of several new elements at Clinic, running Jan. 26-29 in Louisville, Ky. The assembled retailers broke into five working groups to tackle key questions presented during the keynote. Among the insights shared:

“We need to dare to re-imagine how we do business.”
--Mary Wallitsch, Wallitsch Nursery & Garden Center

“Look at what different retailers are doing—like Lululemon. They sell yoga wear, but they go beyond that by telling the benefits of the clothing. In the stores, they’ll push all the products to the side and hold classes right on the sales floor. They’re emphasizing whole life and health. Something we could do, too.”
--Angie Mennen, Pathways to Perennials

“When customers come in, they’ll say: ‘I love being here!’ How do I embrace this—myself—as a leader?”
--Lynne Bower, Stonegate Gardens

“Being a grower-retailer IS unique. We need to play this up to its full advantage.”
--Kate Terrell, Wallace’s Garden Center.

Additional ideas to emerge from the session:

Watch the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. What makes the places profiled quirky and unique? How can you translate these qualities in your garden center?

Go beyond virtual interaction on Facebook with a real-life “brag board” in the garden center. Encourage customers to bring in photos of gardens to post and share.

Write out your goals, find someone to keep you accountable for achieving them, create a timeline and measure the results.

For more information about ANLA’s New Clinic, click here.