MERCHANDISING Garden centers should spend a few minutes each day refreshing outdoor merchandising hotspots. Retail Minded founder Nicole Leinbach shares her strategies for IGC displays and how " shoppertainment " is a can'tmiss opportunity. By Teresa McPherson T he old cliche of " stack it high and watch it fly " couldn't be further from the truth for independent garden centers. Effective merchandising takes much more planning; it's an ongoing process to introduce your products to customers and help them to make a purchase. Retail Minded founder Nicole Leinbach will present " The Path to Purchase: What Every Garden Center Needs to Know " keynote at The Garden Center Show, taking place Aug. 8-10 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We caught up with her for some of her best advice, trends and inspiration for IGCs. L&GR: What is the first thing retailers should know about merchandising? Nicole Leinbach: Retailers need to understand that effective merchandising helps lead to transactions. If they switch their perspective of the value of merchandising - it's not just about customer engagement, it's about driving sales - I think that can really help retailers take a twist of understanding the value of putting effort into it. Clear signage for beginning gardeners allows them to get their questions answered. LGRMAG.COM | 41http://www.LGRMAG.COM