Since the launch of GrowIt!, people had been finding plants on the app that would work well in their specific locations. By seeing what people were planting around them, community members could gain inspiration for their own spaces, but one question remained, “Where can I get these plants?”
This spring, we set out to help the GrowIt! community find the answer, and created the GrowIt! Garden Shops program, where independent garden centers and nurseries, could post pictures of things they had in stock, and be found by local customers looking for plants on the app. It was a win for both parties. Shoppers could find great plants and knowledgeable staff, and retailers could get in front of a whole new mobile audience.
We knew the program would be of interest to many GrowIt! community members; however, we underestimated those numbers. In the first four months since the launch of the Garden Shops program, we’ve seen over 50,000 community members actively seeking out local garden centers on the app! It’s been an exciting launch, and garden centers are starting to feel the effects.
“What I liked most about the whole concept of GrowIt! was the ease of using it to find whatever a newbie gardener may want just by color, all the way up to an experienced gardener looking for a plant or variety by its Latin or scientific name,” says Donna Nykaza-Jones, owner of Ray’s Quality Greenhouse in Matteson, Ill. “We are not the most tech-savvy mobile device users, and even we can use it with ease! And if you are a part of GrowIt! with your garden center, you pop up readily as a source for just what they may be looking for. Everyone looks at their phone or other mobile device for anything at anytime these days, and viola ... there you are!”
Independent Garden Centers can learn more about the Garden Shops program at:
https://retailers.growitmobile.com/apply