Garden Retail Success
Location, Location, Location

 

Yes it’s the old expression we normally associate with the position of a property, including garden centres and it’s the title of a TV programme that is a favourite for some.

Location also has significance for garden centres in another way – the internal location and connections of the retail mix we have on our site.

Whether it’s farm shops or deli’s; cafes or restaurants; concessions, our core garden departments, gift & homeware, clothing or furniture; ideally we want to lead everyone into every area of our complex.
 
Therefore the location of each department and food offer and the connections between each are incredibly important. Locating the many different departments or product groups in the best position to maximise total sales rather than just considering a single product group or activity per visit.
 
  • Farm shops and Deli’s within or beside the garden centre complex to encourage shopping in several departments for a one-stop shop, but don't ask customers to walk across carparking lot to get from one to the other.

  • In the main showroom / garden centre, control where your customers walk. A wide circular path that gets customers to walk to the back of the garden centre and come to the front again. Hot spots, seasonal items and strong merchandising slows them along the way, ensuring they see as much product as possible and experience everything. Allowing numerous escape routes means they miss items that are usually of interest to them
     
  • The entry point in the same vicinity as the exit and the checkout near the exit door

  • Cafés and/or restaurants located centrally or at least away from the front entrance but with good visibility and access to the under 5's play area and the green-life offer.

  • Homeware, gifts and clothing as customers enter and on their way through the store to allow for browsing and impulse shopping before reaching the exterior cover and green life – the items they probably came for

  • Bedding plants and seedlings are one of the main reasons for going to a garden centre so it makes sense to locate them towards the back of the covered area, allowing customers to pass attractive promotion and impulse plants on the way
     
  • Garden care products adjacent to greenlife on the way to the checkout after plants have been chosen

  • Indoor plants central to the showroom in the transition zone between the pleasant and business sides of gardening - so popular they can't be missed.
 
Remember, the key to successful retail is customer experience. The customer journey is part of the focus around the convenience you offer and being able to find their way around. If its a good experience it's a good reason to keep returning to your store.
 
 
26 Sep 2019