Page 8 - Griffin Gazette Issue 2 - 2019

7 TAKEAWAYS FOR IMPROVING THE
Customer Experience

By John Johnston, Retail Education Manager | Many of you might know the memorable lyrics from the band
Steppenwolf, “get your motor running, head out on the highway,” from the hit song, Born to Be Wild. Here are 7
takeaways that can change the retail customer experience in your garden center as we take a ride across a few states.

1. BEE-LIEVE IT OR NOT
This garden center in North Carolina sells an entire department of bee keeping products and
LIVE bees! They promote children’s classes in the store to explain the importance of pollination
and protecting our bee population. A resident beekeeper shared how easy it is to set up a
beehive and took the sting out of being frightened by the non-stop hum coming from boxes
lined up along a table bench outside the greenhouse. This was a well thought out program that
had the kids buzzing with excitement. This “live” event brings a whole new meaning to the “don’t
touch” signs, too!

2. TAKING THE EDGE OFF OF SHOPPING
This garden center made capital improvements to their nursery yard by installing new plant
benching using resin grid tops on wooden table frames. These tops withstand the intense
sunlight, moisture, and heat to provide a firm base for plant material of all sizes. Far superior
to wire hardware cloth, it does not stretch or sag over time causing pots to eventually tip. The
display deserves accolades for its second level of tables. It helps to display vertically to feature
large plantings in decorative pots, plant groupings to excite customers, or just utilize for extra
plant stock. The bonus for customer comfort is that there are smoother edges and less chance
for torn clothing and an angry shopper.

8 | GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2019