March 2022 - 40

POTS AND PLANTERS
What can IGCs do to sell
more pots and planters in their
stores and differentiate from
the big box stores?
Carr: What I've seen is this: you can't
just dip your toe into it; if [your IGC
is] going to be in the planter business,
then the people who come in your store
need to know you're in that business.
If you just have a couple of pieces here
or there, or 40 or 50 pieces throughout
your store, they're going to get lost
and you're going to look like more of a
specialty store.
The [IGCs] who do it right, in my
opinion, do two things: they have a
big enough offering to where they
can supply customers whatever they
want; customers want options. And
the other is [show what the pot looks
like potted up] you've got to take one
or two of them and pot them up. Invest
in the look so when customers walk
in, they say, " I want that. " Sometimes
[customers] need help to spur that
imagination.
Two years ago, I instituted a display
garden for the pots, so now I do many
pots and plant them up and provide
visuals and examples; I think a garden
center should do the same thing for
their customers when they walk in
the door. Pot them up, plant them up,
change them, have your fertilizer and
all the things that you need and show
them: here's what you need to make
this happen.
Have a spot somewhere around
the pots where you have all of that
available; at least have the fertilizers
and the soils and the tools or whatever
it is close by, because you may be
dealing with somebody that's never
done it before. The whole idea is to spur
the customers' imagination, because
then they can take it to another level
themselves.
McClelland: This would be an
opinion, but I have a retail background
Photo from Behrens' photo shoot at Tonkadale Nursery.
We want to
constantly bring
in new designs so
that your customers
always have
something new to
look forward to.
from many years ago working at a
big box bookstore, but I loved the
independent shops fiercely. You could
always find someone who was as
passionate as you were about reading
and would provide exceptional service
and recommendations. In the almost
12 years I've been with the company,
I know Vasesource to be focused on
providing the best product for each
store and buyer. Our account managers
care about their clients' needs and what
their customers are searching for. If you
have a favorite collection, we want to
make sure we always have it in stock
for you. We want to constantly bring
in new designs so that your customers
always have something new to look
forward to. Our customers don't want a
huge shipment at the beginning of the
season to sell through, but a consistent
stock of great sellers and new pots to
impress with.
In addition, we have structured our
product line to focus on 4-, 5-, and
6-inch pots so that garden centers can
drop in their grow pots and give the
customer a great selection. Nothing to
re-plant - so you have less labor for
the garden center and a quality choice
for the customer.
Mundy: I believe that the IGCs should
plant some of the pots up - everyone
wants plants in their home but many
do not want to take the time to actually
plant them.
Schechtman: We just went to
Tonkadale Nursery - they're one of
our neighbors here at our offices -
and did a bunch of photos. [We chose
them] because of the great way our
products can be merchandised within
a garden center ... We took our boot
tray with our bird feeders, and some
of our trough planters and created this
40 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | MARCH 2022
March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2022
