June 2020 - 32

MANAGEMENT
Who Has the
POWER?
Knowledge is power, and if you have an impressive crop and want to see its
success at all levels, that message must be brought to the consumer.
BY AMANDA HUNTINGTON
A
s a grower, maximizing square footage, maintaining or
increasing margins, and simplifying the production process are
always top of mind. Strategic thinking runs constant when it
comes to container sizes, tray dimensions and low cost inputs - and
in an industry where there is no " down time, " supplying instant impact
and successful programs is what supports growth. However, if we dive
deeper into the world of horticulture, are growers' decisions being
influenced by consumer needs and wants, and current trends, or is this
group being neglected?
Every year, growers, breeders, hard goods suppliers and retailers
participate in the California Spring Trials. This gives breeders an
opportunity to showcase the " newest and greatest " and hopefully grab
the attention of growers cycling through. We learn about stronger
disease resistance, quicker to bloom varieties, lower cost crops,
increased hardiness and possible production challenges we all need to
be aware of.
As a grower, these qualities contribute to the success of the crop, but
whether they are translating to the consumer world is left to debate.
If the plant is disease resistant, quicker to bloom and is sure to be
a success to the consumer (though we can't really guarantee this),
growers need to take that knowledge and educate the consumer at retail.
If these attributes are important to the grower and retailer, conveying
this at the store level should be prioritized properly, by defining the value
to the shopper.
32 JUNE 2020 GPNMAG.COM
UNDERSTANDING THE CONSUMER
California Spring Trials is an incredible event, and while it's a lot of work,
we're able to see the magnitude of our industry. On the flip side, do we
really need to see 15 new red petunias or 10 new varieties of impatiens
because they're " making a comeback " ? Honestly, no. At the end of the
day, to a consumer, a red petunia is just that - a red petunia. If we are
investing the time and money into holding such an extravagant event, let's
bring the growers together, select the top 40 or 50 varieties, and then
bring consumers through and see where the common ground is.
Understanding the consumer is key. Male vs. female, urban vs. rural,
having a green thumb vs. not, yard vs. patio gardening; this is all
demographic information growers need to further explore, which leads me
to a small word with big meaning, data. Data is often a " scary " word in our
industry, but you can't plan based on information you don't know or have.
While growers might not be making the buying decisions, growers do
have the power to influence programs, provide new concepts and speak
directly to the consumer market. The question is, how do growers do
that? How do you get in the minds of consumers and why do you want to?
Simple, to sell more product, which at the end of the day, lines up with the
store focus as well.
STRATEGIZE RETAIL CONCEPTS
When you walk into a store, what grabs your eye? I don't know about
you, but generally, I want to spend as little time as possible roaming the
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June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020
