The day before I sat down to write this editorial, I was headed home from work, when a pair of women visiting from Kentucky stopped me at the train station and asked how to get to downtown Chicago. They were only in the area for a few days, a little nervous and clearly out of their element — to start, their town's population of less than 300,000 is a far cry from Chicago’s almost 3 million — but their daughters had begged them to go explore the Michigan Avenue shopping area and report back.
So they left the confines of their hotel, deep in the comfortable suburbs, and prepared to brave that unfamiliar urban territory. And with the guidance of a few seasoned city dwellers who armed them with directions and restaurant recommendations, I hope they encountered no insurmountable obstacles and even had a little fun.
Sink or Swim?
It occurred to me that afternoon that many of us have found ourselves in similarly unfamiliar territory in the past year. Between the prolonged housing slump, the stock market rollercoaster, crazy gas prices and the presidential elections — things I know we’ve all grown weary of hearing and talking about — it’s seemed at times that the easiest thing to do is hole up where we feel most comfortable and ride out the storm until the skies cleared again.
But in business, that’s not always the best plan: Playing it safe and hoping for the best during tumultuous times often means you’re left sitting in the corner as other operations thrive by evolving to meet the changing needs of their customer. Lawn & Garden Retailer contributor Stan Pohmer, in this month’s column (page 48) and many others before it, has put it best when he suggests the adaptable are most likely to survive and thrive.
And you, our readers, are among them. You’re marketing aggressively to attract customers, who have less to spend on your products than ever before. You’re starting to use technology — blogs, podcasts, interactive websites, e-newsletters — to broaden your exposure and get the word out about all you have to offer. You maintain membership in industry organizations and keep up with current events outside the industry. You attend trade shows for new product information and education, and you go on garden center tours to see how your peers are operating their businesses — and find techniques to take home to your own store. Your collective efforts have created a strong group of independent garden center leaders who will thrive despite the challenges we will inevitably continue to face in the near future.
Get on the Train
Speaking of leaders: It’s time again to vote for the 2008 Merchandiser of the Year. The three finalists — Hillermann Nursery and Florist in Washington, Mo.; Beaver Bark Gift & Garden Center in Richland, Wash.; and DeWayne’s Home & Garden Showplace in Selma, N.C. — have shown themselves to be clear leaders by using creative techniques to show off their quality merchandise. Turn to page 31 for more details on how to vote, and look out for more e-mails and reminders in our e-newsletter, The Retail Report, on how you can cast your ballot online.
This is our last issue of Lawn & Garden Retailer for 2008. But watch your mailboxes in January for our first issue of 2009, which will include our annual industry forecast and other features to get the year kicked off right.
The next 12 months, much like the past 12, are sure to present some new challenges. So as you plan for the year ahead, keep up those smart business practices, and be like the women I met that day: Board the train, embark on that journey to the unfamiliar and enjoy the ride while you’re at it. Independent garden centers form a community like no other group of businesses I’ve ever seen; you’ve got each other to fall back on during tough times. And we’ll be right there with you to provide information and insight when you need it.
Happy holidays, and we’ll see you in 2009!
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