Independent retail consultant, Liam Kelly disseminates the recent Red C report on Irish gardening trends into tangible actions
It seems that every year retailers are inundated with more and more reports from consumer agencies, government bodies and every manner of guru and consultant that sees
themselves capable of producing something of interest. They are full of statistics, numbers and marketing babble. Many of these lie unopened and forlorn in computer inboxes, flagged as ‘important’ but not quite important enough, as they drop below the taskbar on the computer… a little red flag forever condemned to live among the undeleted emails from suppliers who you must order from again and those must-subscribe-to newsletters that don’t get read anymore but will someday.
For garden retailers, the problem is doubled, because as well as the retailing reports, a host of gardening sector and plant-based articles are added to the already creaking load
of must-reads, to the point where all information is either just ignored or suffers the humiliation of being immediately shunted to the junk folder, not even worthy of that helpful
‘unsubscribe’ that the originator at the very least deserves.
But it’s hard to put the blame totally on the retailers as many of these documents are too long, too confusing or too full of words such as ‘paradigm’, ‘synergy’ and ‘brand essence’, which immediately cause the reader to tune out and click that little ‘x’ in the top right of the screen. More often, they can contain lots of useful material but the retailer is still
left with the head-scratching thought of, ‘Great but what do I do with all this information?’. There is a deep gulf between the collection and circulation of that data and the retailers’ ability to apply any of it to their businesses.
This year Bord Bia, in conjunction with RED C Research & Marketing, published a report on gardening in Ireland based on information gathered during March and April. At 91 pages
it’s quite a long and detailed report that deals with different demographics of gardeners, their purchases and what their thoughts are with regard to different aspects of gardening
in general and plant and garden related product buying in general. Those who missed the presentation at Glas have probably received an electronic copy, now flagged and forgotten, or have given it a quick look through with a couple of muttered, ‘That’s interesting’ comments before forwarding it to someone else in the business, to which much of the same
apathy, lethargy, and shoulder shrugging will also apply.
This is unfortunate if it happens, as the report contains a wealth of interesting and useful information, but of course, that gap between having the information and using the information is not being bridged. This is hardly Bord Bia’s or Red C’s issue as it is not really in their remit. And so it falls on the shoulders of the garden centres themselves to find points they can apply to their business and this can be where we hit another hurdle, providing, of course, we cleared the one mentally marked ‘I must read this report’.
So what can be gained from all of these 91 pages? Well, a lot actually but let’s focus on just five points and see how they can be applied at a practical level in a retail environment.
1 – Container Gardening
The report tells us that 87% of ‘enthusiastic’ gardeners enjoy the creation and making up of window boxes, hanging baskets and – we presume – pots in general, and 52% of ‘fledgling and developer’ gardeners want to do so in the future. But from my observations, this is an area that many garden centres don’t capitalise on as much as they should, or could. Although there has been visible growth in the sales of pots in general, especially plastic and lightweight ones, for many retailers this is more of a reaction to customers’ requests and the proactive nature of a handful of suppliers than any concerted effort to
plan and drive this important category.
But here we have black and white figures telling us the importance of this category, and it should make retailers ask the question, ‘Am I doing enough?’ As I see it, the answer is
invariably a resounding ‘No’.
Look at the range you carry, how and where it is merchandised, what link sales are available – compost, fertilisers, pot toppers, saucers, etc. Especially saucers – a pot
supplier recently told me a third of their sales are in saucers.
2 – Low Maintenance
When you see statements such as ‘… If it was low or no maintenance it would encourage 75% of people to garden more and this is higher among younger demographics…’ then it
tends to reinforce the idea and should make retailers examine how they are marketing plants, particularly with regard to labeling, bench signage and categorization of product.
The report reinforces my belief in an ‘Easy Care’ section within the plant area of garden centres, but it goes beyond simple arrangement by ‘Customer Needs’ that’s such an overlooked aspect of layout and merchandising. It calls for a different thought process capturing purchasing, sales, and aftercare, or lack of it in this case.
How about flagging a whole selection of plants as ‘Easy- Peasy’, so that whether they are grouped together or merchandised within more theatrical displays they will still be obvious to the customer? This is easy to tackle task for any garden centre, though it might see the return of the much-maligned dwarf conifer.
3 – Gardening in Small Spaces
Statements like ‘…While higher amongst those living in urban areas, there is an interest in gardening more if people could do it effectively in small spaces …’ and ‘… 59% say that if
they could do it in a small space it would encourage them to garden more …’ are important for a few reasons, chief among them is this recognition that city gardeners with small spaces want to garden and that as we become more urbanised this will become more important, albeit to those retailers close to or in these urban areas.
Much of what can be done by retailers to capitalise on this relates back to my points above on container gardening but goes beyond that to the need to stock containers and systems which make it easy for customers to create vertical gardens in a practical and safe way. It’s all very well to see something on social media that looks good but the practicalities of the concept itself must be shown by retailers in a way that makes it easy for these new gardeners to apply it to their own spaces, and for it to actually work.
Look at how you are marketing and helping these potential gardeners, by encouraging them to your store via images on social media and then helping them create this urban balcony paradise with in-store displays.
4 – Premium Options
When asked the following question, ‘When it comes to buying plants and flowers, you sometimes pay more for certain features. Which of these do you think are worth paying a little more for, if any?’, those interviewed answered ‘That they look healthy’ and ‘That they are more mature’ as by far being the most important issues.
Maybe this goes to show that the focus on selling most plants in two-litre pots for under €10 could be holding back sales. For a while now, I’ve advocated the whole upselling
concept of having a larger/better/dearer plant alongside those normally stocked by garden centres, and this view seems to be vindicated up to a point. Plants still need to have
a perceived value to the customer but quite often that value is at odds with what the retailer thinks. Larger, healthier plants sourced from a good supplier can provide a great way to increase revenue. Unfortunately, many growers are stuck in the two-litre-doldrums.
Seek out those who are not, or alternatively work with existing suppliers to specify what you want to sell, based on what the customer wants.
5 – GYO
‘Over 4 in 10 adults express an interest in GYO… That’s a whopping 1.4 million people… Interest peaks at 35-44 years old.’ When put like that, it should cause us to pause for thought.
The so-called height of the GYO phenomena is behind us according to many retailers but that’s because most have given up on this category. The truth is this sector didn’t peak. It plateaued and providing you are proactive with your stocking, promoting and selling this can be a lucrative and high-margin category with a myriad of add-on purchases to raise the average sale. The question you need to ask yourselves is, ‘Did we give up too easily?’
So, those are just five points that I’ve plucked from the report to show how valuable this information is and how important it is that it doesn’t pass retailers by, which it, unfortunately, has based on the conversations I’ve had with retailers over the last while. For sure, there is an onus on those who create these reports to get them into the hands, inboxes or to-do trays of everyone in the horticultural sector but there is a greater importance for this data to be acted upon by those who receive them. They contain a wealth of information and if you can extract just five points out of any of these documents and act on them, then they will have been a worthwhile task for all involved. Ignore them at your peril. The full report can be found on the Bord Bia website. ✽
 LIAM KELLY – Since establishing Retail Services & Solutions in 2007, Liam has become one of the most influential people on the retail side of Irish horticulture. His knowledge of the mindset and ethos of those in this sector, combined with his problem-solving ability, experience, and hands-on work ethic make him uniquely placed to offer advice and help to those who need it most.Key to his success is his knowledge of purchasing, pricing and sales combined with his understanding of layout, signage and merchandising, and how the interaction of these can lead to increased sales and profits. His focus is on garden centres, nurseries, hardware and DIY stores, where discretion, honesty and unbiased opinion are crucial and appreciated by those who secure his services. Liam Kelly, Retail Services & Solutions, Garden Centre Design & Consultancy, 086 822 1494, 059 913 0176, lksolutions@eircom.net |
