Bedding Plant Season — ^It's Just Around the Corner 



Tina Sawtelle 



Wi th al 1 th e concern about our economy , 

 what will happen with bedding plant 

 sales? Bedding plants moved well in the 

 Depression or so they tell mel In those 

 tough times, people stayed home, they 

 gardened, they did flower gardening 

 around the home, and they did things to 

 improve their own environment. Pre- 

 dictions in the early eighties were that 

 in ten years the days of desiring large 

 materialistic things, the big boat, the 

 fifth snowmobile, all these things, was 

 going to change. It would be a simple 

 decision of afTordability. They said 

 people in future generations would be 

 satisfied with less. This is where you fit 

 in. You have a product to sell to fill the 

 customers' needs for exercise, enter- 

 tainment, beauty, quality of life, and 

 moderation in spending. Well, here we 

 are! You be the judge of your market. 

 So, let's examine just a few bedding 

 plant sales pointers in preparation for 

 your 1991 season. 



There is no doubt that your location will 

 have an impact on what type of bedding 

 plants you sell and how much you can 

 sell. Consider large developments in 

 your market area. Do they lend to sun- 

 loving or shade-loving plants? Also 

 consider the current economical level of 

 your customers. Are you in a low-to- 

 medium income area with customers 

 that are looking for inexpen si ve types of 

 bed- ding plants or are you in a medium- 

 to-high income area where people can 



afTord more exotic items? Keep records 

 on what moves. What do you have to 

 reorder? What did people ask for that 

 you didn't have? What's left sitting 

 around at the endof the season? WntejY 

 down! Make next year's planning 

 easier. 



You can't beat quality! You want your 

 customers' confidence and loyal ity. If 

 your customers feel you are providing 

 them with a top quality bedding plant 

 you will have their confidence and loy- 

 alty. They will comeback time and time 

 again. Dispose of the bad stuff. Get it 

 out of there! Continue to fill in. Either 

 bring in more merchandise or consoli- 

 date what you have. Consolidating 

 keeps your customers from running 

 all around and your display looking 

 fuller. Fuller sells more! 

 Be willing to invest in the future! 

 Customer conveniences and services 

 will still be of utmost importance to 

 your success. Friendly service, help, 

 and advice sets you, the professional, 

 apart from department and grocery 

 chains offering plants at low prices. 

 How easy is it for your customers to 

 get the product and take it home? 

 Does she have to scrounge around on 

 the ground or does she just lift it right 

 off the bench? Provide something for 

 the customer to take the merchandise 

 out of the shopping areas. Wagons are 

 great! They free up hands to handle 

 more products. And the bigger the wa- 



gon, the more they can carry out. Car- 

 ry out trays are good too. Give your 

 customer a small tray and they will fill 

 it up and be satisfied. Give them a 

 large tray and they almost alway fill it 

 up! (In our era of conservation, if they 

 don't fill the big box you can always 

 transfer to something smaller at the 

 checkout area. ) You may want to offer a 

 one dollar discount on the next pur- 

 chase to anyone bringing back their 

 box in good shape. This conserves boxes 

 and brings your customer back. 



Can your customers easily reach your 

 hanging baskets? Are all your plants 

 labeled properly, preferably with pic- 

 ture labels? Do you provide informa- 

 tive and suggestive signs to aid your 

 customers' decision making? Do you 

 provide a variey of pot sizes? 



All these considerations are important 

 in your winter planning for bedding 

 plant sales. Take the time now to de- 

 cide and plan your marketing strategy. 

 Planning now, coupled with follow- 

 through in the spring, is a sure formula 

 toward successful sales. 

 Wishing you success in 1991! 

 Tino Sawtelle, principal nf Sawtelle 

 Marketing Associates, consults with 

 Agricultural Direct Retail Businesses 

 on marketing and merchandising. In 

 addition, she tenches Agricultural 

 Bu.'^iness Management techniques at 

 the Thompson School at UNH. For 

 more information, call (603) 659-8106. 



EASTERN 

 WHITE PINE 



6-10' Height 



Beautiful, heavy, 



Vermont, Connecticut Valley 



nursery grown. 



Growing 500 Acres at New England's Finest Trees & Shrubs 



•«•.'."■ ■^'^" 



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604 Main Street 



Cromwell, Connecticut 06416 



Phone (203) 635-5500 



Fax (203) 635-3685 



S^illane 95ur^eries,%c. 



FkBRU ARY/M ARCH 1991 25 



