Page 11 - Griffin Gazette Fall 2015

Fine tuning your spring purchases and and the distributor buyer. The opportunity to buy non-stocked
changing your spring store plan enters a
critical stage during trade show season and
the early buying period from suppliers. The
reason for change is simple. Sales need to be
generated and be profitable at expected levels input of your managers and customers, and create a wish list
for the products bought and inventoried.
Change is a constant for sales growth, and
resistance to make improvements detracts
from retaining and gaining new customers.
Manufacturers have changed the playing field through the
years, with some focusing more on box store development than
independents. The question is often whether to stop promoting a
national brand and promote an independent-only brand instead.
In the heat of the moment it’s easy to quickly dismiss a vendor
line out of anger, but sales at the shelf could suffer unless a keen
strategy is deployed by all team members in the store. Planning
ahead is tantamount to a successful change or substitution.
When you dominate in a certain category at your store, you
put that dominance on display like no one else in your region.
You represent that category with enough breadth of brand and
depth of offer to make consumers travel distances, passing by
others to shop your store. Long ago, the chemical aisle, tool aisle
and power-equipment aisle were owned by the independents
throughout the country. That is, prior to the box-store explosion
in the early 1990s. Independents validated brands and products
only to have their profits stripped out by box stores selling at low
margins. How do we make the changes necessary to maintain
a strong brand offering and preserve profits? How do we
make the changes necessary to maintain a strong offer and
preserve profits?
Assessment
What isn’t selling on your shelves and why? Is it price? Is it
because of merchandising capabilities from limited shelving
options? Is it because of product allocation? Are sales suffering
because of the lack of a visible price and signage? Has selection
and inventory declined to the point that you don't have the needed
products to satisfy your customer needs? Every question above
is a factor in your decision to stock or not to stock. Adjustments
to the way you merchandise and place product in the store can
positively impact your sales. No brand changes need to be made
if a plan is executed for the inventory. However, if it becomes a
total makeover, some planning is necessary to make the store
easier to understand and sell your products.
Category
Think about how women shop in their favorite stores. They come
with a purpose to buy by need. From there, they accessorize to
make everything work together. Doesn’t this philosophy apply
to our categories? Notice how department stores align all the
needed categories associated with, let’s say, a dress purchase.
Purses, shoes and jewelry are all nearby. Cosmetics aren’t too
far away either. All are on the same floor and all within eyesight
or traffic flow. Look at your categories the same way. Are your
products combined or nearby to make shopping your categories
easy? Do you sign the department so customers can see it from
a distance and allow movement to that shopping zone? A formula
that I recommend is that today’s consumers shop by NEED, by
MANUFACTURER, by DELIVERY OR SIZE, and by PRICE in
that order.
Killer categories have everything consumers want and more.
It has become increasingly difficult to source certain products
you might want. A sharp eye is needed to find these unique
products beyond normal distributor trade shows. Most suppliers
stock only what is written at their events and that makes
ordering in advance of the season important to the retailer
items may uncover a unique category that is only available
in your store. Each spring, take one or two major categories
and do your best to concentrate on making it a great selling
environment with the best selection found anywhere. Ask for the
of improvements.
Brand Dominance
When it comes to having a complete look for their brand, some
manufacturers are better than others. Try this exercise in your
store: Stand at your category and walk 10-12 steps away from
the shelf. If you can read what the label says and understand
why it’s in the assortment, keep it. If not, discard it and start
over. Determine which brands (and products) fit your store’s
image and allow the shopper to know what you’re offering
quickly and definitively. Today’s shopper is speeding along
faster than ever and although the mission might be for a plant,
some additional products are needed to make their purchase
more gratifying by having success in their plantings.
Brand dominance also helps drive traffic! Companies like
Espoma and Bonide, and even products like Preen, drive store
penetration with their brand recognition and colorful packaging.
When you leverage a strong brand, you reap the benefit of
store penetration.
Upgrading Your Fixtures
Physical upgrades to store fixtures can also provide a huge
boost to sales and shelf performance. Providing a new look (or
remodeling existing fixtures with new wall board and fresh paint)
can drastically compound the success of today’s packaging.
Cleanliness is also not to be overlooked! Today’s national retailers
make it a priority to keep register and display zones clean and
unobstructed. Some national stores like Urban Outfitters are
also providing some unique looks with fresh plant material to
soften the selling environment. If your fixtures are 15-20 or even
25 years old, a makeover doesn’t cost as much as replacement
but you’ll bring more awareness to your products and increase
store penetration.
Upgrading Your Fleet Carts
I'm not an advocate of little red wagons like the Radio Flyer brand
in plant yards and greenhouses, although they have their place
for charm and uniqueness. It’s the functionality that confounds
me. These wagons hold very little in plants, flats and products. In
the supermarket, consumers head to the checkouts when their
shopping carts are full. Why would a garden cart be any different?
Two-tier carts hold significantly more and even though it may seem
costly to get ones with flat-free tires and even children’s seats, these
carts pay for themselves usually within the first month of usage.
Invest in your plant-selling future by adding a planned number of
carts for two or three years in a row. You’ll be surprised by how
your plant yard responds in extra sales. Griffin sells many styles
of nursery carts that are larger and worth the capital investment.
Increasing Your Shopping Zones
Adding more covered shopping areas to plant yards and
spaces adjacent to greenhouses and stores is one of top
ways to increase sales. The return on investment is among the
best in our industry. Anytime you can stretch the footsteps of
customers and protect them (and your plants) from the elements,
everyone benefits!
If weather has damaged shade cloth or your nursery yard ground
cover fabric, plan to look into these capital improvements to make
your customers feel more comfortable in their surroundings. They
will spend more time to spend more money at your store, next
season and beyond. Good selling!
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