Celebrating Our Independent Garden Centers
When we talk about the nature of our industry and the challenges we face, the word “unpredictable” comes up a lot. And it’s true that much of what keeps us up at night falls within the category of the unknown; factors beyond our control like weather, politics, the economy, and the labor market certainly influence our success from day to day, month to month, and season to season. But, by and large, our success is due, not to luck or circumstance, but to the careful planning, dedication, and passion of the individuals who make up the green industry. While we at Mariani Plants usually see things through a grower’s lens, we felt it was important that we take a moment to recognize the enormous contributions of our independent garden centers and the vital role they play in our industry and our communities.
No one understands the importance of planning and organization better than IGCs. For one thing, there’s spring (a word that evokes equal parts excitement and psychosis in our industry), and IGCs have to be prepared to hit the ground running each spring from staffing, marketing, and logistics standpoints. They need to anticipate trends and predict consumer behavior in order to prebook the right inventory, motivate their sales staff, and train seasonal employees. And once spring is over, they’re constantly looking for ways to improve the bottom line by identifying and expanding other selling seasons and using events and marketing efforts to increase foot traffic throughout the remaining nine months of the year.
Independent garden centers are also our preeminent influencers in the industry. They don’t just follow the leading consumer trends – they set them. When home gardeners visit their local IGC, they’re usually not just shopping for plants – they’re seeking ideas and inspiration, and IGCs offer their customers an experience they can’t get anywhere else. They create displays that tap into consumers’ interests and drive sales. They develop educational programs and offer workshops that not only provide information, but connect with their customers on a personal level and make them feel like part of a community. In a society that’s increasingly dominated by e-commerce and online shopping, our garden centers don’t just sell products: they offer customers an engaging and memorable shopping experience while adding value to their lives and fostering generations of lifelong gardeners.
We recently celebrated our annual Customer Appreciation Day at the Garden Prairie nursery. It was a fun and meaningful day, as always, and it compelled us to step back and reflect on our role in the industry and on the significance and diversity of the partnerships we’ve formed with our customers. After all, we couldn’t do what we do without them. And when it comes to independent garden centers, they’re the boots on the ground, a source of inspiration and education to their communities and neighbors. We grow hundreds of thousands of plants each season. We watch as they get loaded on wagons and shipped out on our delivery trucks, but that’s not where the story ends. Our IGCs allow us to maintain a connection with the end customer, to understand what the home gardener wants and thinks. They help to guide our production decisions and never fail to give us their unfiltered and honest feedback, and they are our partners in the true sense of the word. That’s why we will always remain committed to our relationships with independent garden centers and why they’re a permanent part of our past, present, and future success.
