New Trends & Ideasfor Garden Retailers

Ellen C. WellsEditor at Large, Green Profit Magazine

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Overall Trend for 2011?

A rotten handful of years

“… A more conscientious consumer …”

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Agenda

•Shopping Behaviors

•Garden & Gardener Trends

•Gift & Color Trends

•Today’s Consumer: What’s on her mind

•Food Trends

Shopping Behaviors

From American Express Consumer Spending Survey:

•Seeing a more conscientious consumer

•Consumers focusing on:•Product quality

•Impact of their spending decisions

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Shopping Behaviors

•Increased community involvement and group buying

•More and more with online shopping, consumers will expand their social community interactions while shopping.

•i.e. Groupon, Living Social

•Sharing reviews and experiences

•Garden Centers?

•Get yourself involved

•Pay attention to online reviews

•Monitor your brand even on the Web

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Shopping Behaviors

•Location-based shopping•GPS tracking

•Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, others

•Reward customers who “check in”

•Garden Centers?•Monitor social media sites

•Offer exclusive coupon, freebie or comp service

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Shopping Behaviors

•Buying local•Not just a “mom and pop” thing

•National companies are tailoring offerings and ads to local preferences

•e.g. Dunkin Donut commercials; Home Depot’s Garden Club

•Garden Centers?•Be MORE local

•Feature community members in ads, marketing materials

•Tout local favorite plants

•Carry locally made products, host local craftspeople

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Shopping Behaviors

•Product co-creation•Shoppers involved in creating their purchases & shopping experiences

•E.g. Levi’s – design-your-own jeans

•Sneakers, coffee flavors, furniture, etc

•Garden Centers?•Container combinations

•Holiday/gift baskets

•Special events

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Shopping Behaviors

•Ethical, sustainable companies•Consumers continue to expect these of their retailers

•Willing to pay to support these efforts

•Garden Centers?•Publicize your sustainability efforts

•Make it in terms that affect your customers for maximum impact

•Charity events/cause marketing

•Pink Day from Proven Winners ColorChoice

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Garden & Gardening Trends

•Gardening with a purpose•Making their world a little greener

•Ecoscaping•Right plant in the right place = more sustainable landscape

•Edible ornamentals•It’s all pretty! And can all be grown together

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Garden & Gardening Trends

•Sustainable containers•Multi-season containers

•Mixed veg/herb/flower containers

•Perennial & shrub containers

•The container material itself, e.g. fiber

•Succulents•Low water-use plants, diverse uses, easy

•Indoor gardening•Terrariums, wall gardens with orchids, ferns, palms, etc.

•Victorian look

•Clean VOCs from the air

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Garden & Gardening Trends•Vertical gardening

•Indoors or out, maximum use of space

•Use to create buffers and privacy screens

•Good for the air quality

•Urban farming & CSAs•Micro-farming in cities and near-city farms

•Locally sourced, fresh

•Creates interaction, interest over food

•Garden Centers can host/grow

•Winter farmers markets – Cole Gardens & Churchill Gardens

•“Urbanism” •spending time in park-like settings in urban areas

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Gift/Color Trends

•Economy is driving two tracks:•Simplicity, back-to-basics attitude

•“Zest for life”

•Two color trends stem from this:•Earthy neutral tones, “farmers market” colors

•Softer teals, limes, oranges, pinks

•Familiar bright colors, just softer hues

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Gift/Color Trends

•Looking to past for inspiration•Finding comfort in the familiar

•Products that “stood test of time”•Retro appliances, e.g. Rachel Ray’s set

•Retro colors•From the 1960s-1970s – avocado, turquoise, browns

•Refreshed, refurbished, restored•Flea market finds that have been repurposed

•Unique items customers are willing to pay for

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Today’s Consumer

•“Looking for meaning and purpose behind everything she buys and does.”

•“Cautious and concerned,” but “coming out of hibernation.”

•“Looking to be inspired for 2011.”

•“Wants to be uplifted and cheerful,” with product and how it’s merchandised.

•“Needs to be able to see something and build a story around it, affordably.”

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Food Trendswww.foodchannel.com

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•“The new economy has created a boldnessand willingness to change how we work, howwe cook, and how we eat.”

•The Canning Comeback: “Putting Up” is gainingpopularity for both economy and health.

•Local Somewhere: We care about hand-tended, no matter where it’s grown.

•Fresh Every Day: Rooftop gardens are just one part the fresh-food trend.

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Questions? Comments?

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Thank you!

Ellen C. WellsEditor at Large, Green Profit Magazine

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