Cha-ching! (6-24)

Bordine's, with five locations in Michigan, produces "Bloom," a slick, four-color newsletter for its Bordine Card members. The monthly publication not only looks impressive, what with all the pictures of plants and appealing decorative items, but it also offers a lot of practical, solution-based editorial content that will help gardeners improve the way they tend their yards.

"Bloom" could easily serve as a model for how newsletters should be done, and, for good measure, the store posts a copy of each month's missive on its website (once the core readers have received their copies and had a chance to read it). The result: A reference for those who might want one and a marketing bullet point for the store.

Good garden centers find ways to market that highlight practical -- even useful -- benefits for their cutomers. With "Bloom," Bordine's has extended the arm of a very good store to entice regular shoppers to return. That's "Cha-ching!" at its best.

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