August 2023 - 24

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Piedmont Feed &
Garden Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
piedmontfeed.com
Year founded:
Piedmont Feed & Garden Center was founded in 1988.
Current owners Lilly and Chris Williamson acquired the
company in 2013.
What is your garden center known for?
We are known for carrying unique and hard-to-find
plants. By being a full-service garden center, we stock
products needed to ensure our customers are successful
in maintaining the plants that they purchase. Not only will
you find typical garden center products, but customers have
come to know that they can find many locally made and
tailored gifts/products in our store. We also carry many local
feeds for farmers and pet owners in our community, making
for a unique shopping experience.
Why is community involvement important
to you?
Without the support of our local community, our
business would not exist. We are here to serve the
community in which we live. We feel it is very important
to be involved in our community in various ways, including
donating plants and materials to local school gardens. We
also enjoy seeing other small businesses in our community
gain new customers through our pop-up shops or by
carrying their products in our store.
How do you work with staff to ensure this?
From the first day of employment, staff members are
shown, through shadowing other employees, our customerfirst
mission. Part of our mission is to enrich the lives of
those we serve by connecting them with nature through
knowledge, products and services. We train our staff to
connect with every customer by educating our staff on the
products and services we sell and offer. In return, our staff
can ensure every visitor leaves our business inspired and
motivated to continue gardening.
How do you set your store apart from the
big boxes?
As consumers ourselves, we understand the importance
of focusing on each individual customer and their reason for
visiting our business. We strive to ensure that customers view
our store as a destination and not just another retailer. We set
ourselves apart from the big-box stores by offering hospitality
and a variety of special events. Customers enjoy free cups of
hot tea or cocoa from our Tea Table while they shop. We host
many events throughout the year like our Greenhouse Yoga,
Fall Festival, Christmas Open House and more. Even our two
resident cats, Bud and Sunny, bring unique joy to our visitors.
" Part of our mission is to enrich the
lives of those we serve by connecting
them with nature through
knowledge, products and services. "
Photo courtesy of
24 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | AUGUST 2023
24 |
Piedmont Feed & Garden Center.

http://www.piedmontfeed.com

August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2023

Editors' Letter
Table of Contents
Headlines
Calendar
Editors' Picks
Innovator of the Year: Meet the Lawn & Garden Retailer Innovators of the Year!
Special Advertising Section
Technology: Open-to-Buy Inventory Management Key for Retailers
Green Goods: Trial-Proven Produce
Product Focus: Garden Pharmacy
Marketplace
Ad Index
5 Minutes With ...: Ken Lain
August 2023 - 1
August 2023 - 2
August 2023 - 3
August 2023 - Editors' Letter
August 2023 - 5
August 2023 - Table of Contents
August 2023 - 7
August 2023 - Headlines
August 2023 - 9
August 2023 - 10
August 2023 - Calendar
August 2023 - Editors' Picks
August 2023 - 13
August 2023 - Innovator of the Year: Meet the Lawn & Garden Retailer Innovators of the Year!
August 2023 - 15
August 2023 - 16
August 2023 - 17
August 2023 - 18
August 2023 - 19
August 2023 - 20
August 2023 - 21
August 2023 - 22
August 2023 - 23
August 2023 - 24
August 2023 - 25
August 2023 - 26
August 2023 - 27
August 2023 - 28
August 2023 - 29
August 2023 - Special Advertising Section
August 2023 - 31
August 2023 - Technology: Open-to-Buy Inventory Management Key for Retailers
August 2023 - 33
August 2023 - Green Goods: Trial-Proven Produce
August 2023 - 35
August 2023 - 36
August 2023 - 37
August 2023 - 38
August 2023 - 39
August 2023 - 40
August 2023 - 41
August 2023 - Product Focus: Garden Pharmacy
August 2023 - 43
August 2023 - Marketplace
August 2023 - 45
August 2023 - 46
August 2023 - 47
August 2023 - Ad Index
August 2023 - 49
August 2023 - 5 Minutes With ...: Ken Lain
August 2023 - 51
August 2023 - 52
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