Christmasi n s p i r e d s o l u t i o n s f o r p r o f i t a b l e b u s i n e s s

A Scranton Gi l let te Communicat ions Publ icat ion

R e t a i l e r

AUGUST 2009

Round Out the Season with Custom Wreaths

Make a List, Check It Twice:Shopping the Gift Marts

Holiday MarketplaceVisit us on the Web at www.lgrmag.com

Photo: Melrose International

CHRISTMAS RETAILER

28 Lawn & Garden R etailer August 2009 www.lgrmag.com

Gift shops are serious business for many

garden centers, and after the peak

spring selling season — especially

around the holidays — it’s even more

important to carry an array of unique

products to keep customers excited about your store

and shopping year round.

So it’s no surprise that the country’s major gift mar-

kets can be a bit overwhelming: With so many enticing

gift products to pack into one shopping experience,

it’s bound to be a little crazy. But this is an industry

that loves to share tips and tricks, from merchandising

to the best new varieties, and shopping strategies are

no exception.

One Store’s ProcessSandy Noten-Heuman of Bob’s Home & Garden

Showplace in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., has been

attending Atlanta’s gift market at AmericasMart for

years. She and the four other Bob’s staff members she

travels with are truly a force to be reckoned with: They

spend as much as 10 days at the market, waiting at the

doors before they open every morning and sticking

around past the mart’s close some nights — “until they

throw us out,” she says.

Before they make the journey to Atlanta, they sit

down and determine a budget. Seventy percent of the

buy is holiday-related, she says, and the other 30 per-

cent is everyday items. They look at what sold well the

previous year and what is still left over to be reused

in themes throughout the store. “Know your inventory

and try to incorporate your old stuff and make it new,”

she says. Once at the mart, they lace up their most

comfortable shoes and hit the fl oor.

Depending on the vendor, they might stay in a

store up to six or eight hours to complete their buy.

“Sometimes we divide and conquer; sometimes we stay

together,” Noten-Heuman says. “Sometimes we’ll each

see things in a different light. Everybody has input.”

If their visit to a vendor is especially long, the option

is there for someone to take off and check out other

nearby showrooms.

When asked what advice she would offer to fi rst-time

market attendees, she gave these pointers: Go at a time

when you can visit the temporary booths as well as per-

manent showrooms — you might see something new

and different. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring snacks.

Consider taking a wheeled briefcase or backpack —

your shoulders will thank you.

More TipsAnd here are a few more thoughts for a smooth

market experience — applicable to a visit to any

market, from Dallas to Atlanta to New York — from Pat

Zajac, senior director of communications at the Dallas

Market Center.

1. Preregister and take advantage of special hotel

rates negotiated by the market center.

By Paige Worthy

Any trip to the major gift markets can be stressful and tiring, but there are a few tips from the pros to smooth the process — maybe you’ll even enjoy yourself!

SHOPPING

M A N A G E M E N T

Strategic(Photos: Sara Kerens, Dallas Market Center.)

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M A N A G E M E N T

Dallas Market Center produces The Source magazine and also issues a

monthly e-zine, The Product Source, which showcases new products that

will be offered at market.

3. Schedule appointments with

showrooms ahead of time, but leave

room in your schedule to explore

new showrooms and areas of market

as well as attend some seminars.

4. Once at market, pick up a

directory and as well as the seminar

schedule and new product listings.

5. If possible, schedule an entire

day — or at least a half day — to walk

the entire market before you make

purchases. Be sure to include tempo-

rary exhibitors in your walkthrough.

6. Bring plenty of business cards;

include both your billing and ship-

ping addresses.

7. Ask the showroom staff for help:

What are their top sellers? What is

the volume? The sales reps gener-

ally have a good sense for what’s

happening in the marketplace.

8. After market closes down for the

day, go out and have a nice dinner.

Visit some other area retailers to see

what product they are carrying and

how they display it.

9. You will pick up hundreds

of brochures and catalogs while

walking the fl oor. Consider ship-

ping them to yourself rather than

carrying them back home.

10. Establish relationships with sim-

ilar retailers from around the country

that you can share ideas with.

11. Look for market specials,

deals not available from the sales

reps who visit your store. If you place

a big enough order, the savings may

be enough to cover your airfare.

12. After market, follow up on

the orders you made. Make sure you

got all the information you needed.

Figure out when you should expect

delivery. Go over the orders with

your staff so that they feel part of

the process and are familiar with

the product once it arrives.

Paige Worthy is managing editor of Lawn & Garden Retailer. She can be reached at (847) 391-1050 or pworthy@sgcmail.com.

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BRUSHKINS FOR THE ARCTIC

BRUSHKINS FOR ALL THAT’S IN BETWEEN

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2. Do your research in advance.

Go the website, look at the fl oor

plans and check out publications

from the market you’re visiting. The

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CHRISTMAS RETAILER

32 Lawn & Garden R etailer August 2009 www.lgrmag.com

open house features live jazz, hors-d’oeuvres and

champagne. There’s no better time to show off

the wreaths than when people are in the mood

and enjoying the atmosphere, and Nick’s usually

has about 200 on display.

More Than a SaleCustom-made wreaths can be an essential

part of the garden center business during the

holidays. But peacock feathers, quick turnaround

and spiced cider aside, personalization opens up

a window for holiday sentimentality, which means

happy customers who want to return. And some-

times the emotional impact is even greater.

“One woman’s husband was dying of cancer,

and he was a big John Deere collector,” says SuEllyn

Reinke, owner of Frontier Land Care, Ainsworth,

Neb. “So she brought in toys she’d bought, and we

custom made that wreath for her.”

Frontier Land Care and other garden centers

see their wreath-buying customers year after year.

But on top of the quality products and service these

stores provide, wreath-making during the holidays

provides much more than the typical “thanks for

coming; have a nice day” customer experience: It’s

another way to make memories.

Hannah Kiefer is editorial assistant of Lawn & Garden Retailer. For more information, contact managing editor Paige Worthy at pworthy@sgcmail.com or (847) 391-1050.

Instead, Eric Clark, horticulturalist at Civano

Nursery in Tucson, says his workers use what’s

local and realistic — and that’s true quality. From

cactus pads to eucalyptus leaves and magnolias,

customers get what will last and look more nat-

ural in their climate and habitat.

And when wreath business is booming, effi cient

production is essential to maintaining workers’

sanity, especially when add-ons can range from

citrus fruits to gumdrop candies.

Waterloo Gardens, with three locations near

Philadelphia, arranged a set up to accomplish

exactly that. Certain areas in the store are dedi-

cated solely to wreath making, with all the necessary

materials an arm’s length away. “[Employees] don’t

have to search the store for materials every day,” says

Heather Carlson, nursery director. “We can crank

stuff out but really provide a quality product.”

Keep Service in MindGreat service, like helping a customer even

when it could be seen as a hassle, is paramount at

Christmas, especially where special wreaths that

could make or break a home’s holiday decor are

concerned. Dana Althoff, manager and grower

at Parkview Nursery, Aberdeen, S.D., says they

prefer 24 hours notice for orders.

“But sometimes someone comes in and wants

a wreath in an hour and a half, so we’ll do that

just to please the customer,” she said. An occa-

sional favor or proving that you can go above and

beyond for your customers can evolve into reg-

ular, well-known services that generate extra rev-

enue. “We install decorations in people’s homes

when they’re too busy during the holidays,” says

Paul Witry, general manager at Sid’s Greenhouse,

Palos Hills, Ill.

Mix in TraditionWhether you have 70 customers at a wreath-

making seminar or just 10 at a demonstration ses-

sion, classes do more than bring your customers

into your store to sell, educate and build relation-

ships. They can entertain, make memories and

even establish traditions.

At Frontier Land Care, owner SuEllyn Reinke

says wreath-making classes have grown to be more

than basic instructional sessions. They add cider,

coffee and Christmas goodies for a more fes-

tive atmosphere. “Some people bring wine, and

they’ll make it their girls night out,” she adds. “It’s

gotten really fun. We have a lot of repeat people

that do it every year.”

Randy Ortega Junior, manager at Nick’s Garden

Center and Farm Market, Aurora, Colo., says their

A wreath, in its simplest form, is a

ring of evergreen to hang on a door

during the holidays. But a custom

wreath? Think pinecone clusters,

ribbons in every color, maybe even

peacock feathers — something more special.

Custom-made means customer-focused, which

can also sometimes mean unconventional.

Customer requests for these tailor-made dec-

orations are “all over the board” at

Kale’s Christmas Shop, Princ-

eton, N.J. “Last year, I did

a wreath that had pea-

cock feathers with a

teal bow and gold

trim, and I spray

painted it with

gold glitter,” says

garden center

manager Kevin

Bullard. “We’ll

get the tradi-

tional red bow

with pinecones,

too.” And wreath

sizes can range

anywhere from

eight inches to six

feet, Bullard adds.

But wreath

designers can be

equally creative.

Susan Geiser,

senior fl oral

designer at

Wight’s Lawn

& Garden, Lyn-

nwood, Wash.,

says they fi rst

make wreaths

to match the 35

themed trees dis-

played in their store.

Customers can then

choose from a variety

of options if they don’t have

ideas of their own. Themes range

from nativity to vintage to sports.

Back to BasicsIn most regions, “real, quality Christmas

wreaths” are healthy, fresh-cut evergreens. How-

ever, in Arizona, where winter temperatures still

reach into the 80s, that kind of wreath dries out

fast and can be a potential fi re hazard.

By Hannah Kiefer

This holiday season, create an endless loop of customer loyalty with custom-made wreaths.

CUSTOM WREATHS:

CIRCULAR SATISFACTION

M E R C H A N D I S I N G

CHRISTMAS RETAILER

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A dedicated area for creating wreaths like this one at Waterloo Gar-dens can help improve productivity and product quality.

www.lgrmag.com August 2009 L awn & Garden R etailer 33

CHRISTMAS RETAILER

Holiday Marketpl aceHoliday wreath

The new Forest Wreath features an assort-ment of greens indigenous to

the Pacifi c Northwest. A com-plete line of fresh wreaths,

garlands and greens is available. Deer Run

Greenery. www.christmaswreathsales.com (866) 706-

9865. Write in 1456

Owl accentsThese new barn owls are offered as fi gurines — 4½ , 8 and 10 inches tall — and as a pencil, a magnet and an ornament. There are more than 450 styles, including more than 160 ornaments.

Nature’s Accents. www.brushkins.com (866) 600-8963. Write in 1457

Christmas treeStart off the holiday season with confi dence by ordering fresh cut Fraser Firs. Minimum order is 150 trees. Choose from three grades. Available sizes range from 3-foot tabletop to 12 feet. Sizes and grades can be mixed. Trees are baled and tagged with a full-color red and white Christmas bow tag. Veldsma & Sons, Inc. www.veldsma.com (800) 458-7919. Write in 1458

Lighting accentsGlitter Pop-Ons are designed to be an easy-on, easy-off way to decorate the home. They work well on pre-lit trees and fi replace man-

tels, and make a nice accent when used on top of cabinets, hutches and shelves. This concept allows users to leave the light strings up all year and switch Pop-Ons, which are available in a multitude of shapes

and colors to match mood or season. Vickie Jeans Creations, Inc. www.vickiejeanscreations.com (800) 771-2320. Write in 1459

Wall plaqueTidings of Joy Nativity is one of the latest wall plaques designed by George Carruth. Hand cast in stone material, it includes a hook on

the back for hanging. It measures 5 x 6½ x 1 inches and weighs 1 pound. Carruth Studio. www.carruthstudio.com (800) 225-1178. Write in 1460

100% biodegradableChristmas Tree Nettingand Removal Bags

Give us a call for a free catalog 1-800-458-7919or visit us online www.veldsma.com

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Deer Run Greenery Inc. Quality manufacturers of fresh Christmas wreaths, garlands, cut greens and pine cones

When quality matters, call us toll free:

1-866-706-9865

Deer Run Greenery is a third generation family business that has been serving quality con-scious customers for 50 years.

P.O. Box 743, Graham, WA 98338 Phone 866-706-9865 Fax (360) 893-2269

cwreath@centurytel.net

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