Page 8 - Griffin Gazette

“Hey, Siri, By John Johnston,
What’s New?” Retail Education Manager
In this highly automated, self-service culture,
Blazing New Trails where can a retail buyer turn for advice on
in Retail Sales new products? Has retailing come down to
asking Siri about what we should buy and
sell? Siri, of course, is the digital assistant
inside Apple’s popular mobile devices.
“What’s missing from my assortment?” you
may ask. “What’s trending?”
Every distributor has their exclusive vendors and specific product
assortment, carefully selected among the many manufacturer
options. Do you look for product opportunities to differentiate
your store—items that surrounding retailers might not offer? Or
do you tend not to stray from the single-distributor offerings? Are
you happy with your sales results? Many garden-center buyers
look for products that fit their selling strategy (which includes
differentiation), their store brand and their ultimate goal to increase
sales and profits for their stores.
If you’re a retailer that’s on the discovery trail every year, you may
be interested in some of the retail offerings from Griffin. Our lineup
includes options from every manufacturer we represent that can
fill a void, or offer a product or brand that’s not sold in the box
stores. Hey, Siri, what’s new in lawn and garden products?

8 Griffin Gazette winter 2017