The Future of the Garden Centre Industry

I will start with June which has been a busy month developing a “White Paper” entitled 20/20 Vision with Trevor Cochrane and Malcolm Scott on the future of garden retailing. Many small business are finding it difficult to see the way forward, hence the White Paper to give you some guidance on what to expect and what to do about it.

I have provided the contents below so that you can see what the paper includes. It will be available as an e-book. I realize that the focus will be towards the garden industry, but other retailers will pick up valuable information from it as well.

I will launch the White Paper at the Chicago IGC Show on August 16th, that will be followed by a UK launch in September at GLEE. Over September, October, November and December I will be launching the contents at conference presentations in Canada, Italy, Poland, Czech and France. After the conference presentations I will also be setting up Master Classes for those that want to develop their business and want more information on the exciting opportunities that are available.

[contentblock id=2 img=gcb.png] if you are interested in any more information on this exciting package that will future proof your business.

Contents

Introduction

• Why write a white paper on the garden industry?

Chapter 1 – Overview of Industry

• The Garden Industry size and value
• Retailing trends
• A global overview
• Product
• Freshness is king
• Core ranges versus something new – something different
• Consumer
• Changing consumer expectations
• Trends
• Marketing
• Product categories
• Service
• Improving profitability
• Are retail margins shrinking?
• Gross margin versus gross dollar profit
• Increasing turnover and reducing waste

Chapter 2 – Challenges

• Current business models
• Traditional markets
• New trends
• Emerging categories
• Consumer research
• Marketing strategies
• Traditional advertising techniques
• Trust relationships and managing trust
• New age media
• Driving sales versus creating and maintaining relationships
• Advertising versus social networking versus public relations
• Add on – cafe, gift shops, service
• B2B trading
• Web Trading

Chapter 3 – Opportunity

• Key Changes to existing business strategies
• Ranging
• Marketing
• Understanding impulse purchasing
• Customer traffic
• Perceptions
• Creating new strategies, new visions and sharing the success
• Managing change

Chapter 4 – Future Directions

• This is evolution driven by consumer demand – change or die
• Social conscience – community ownership
• Can you change?

Chapter 5 – Tactical change – How to avoid catastrophe

• Share your vision and Cultivate a culture of confidence
• For your customer Implementing meaningful experiential change requires honest self assessment
• Community
• Increasing turnover
• Decreasing waste
• Local market focus versus national versus global
• Improving service standards
• Owning consumer consumers

Chapter 6 – Summary of Position 2011

• Speed of Change required
• Business model development and change
• Announce your Evolution
• Manage the evolution to not only survive but thrive.

Chapter 7 – Supporting information

• Case studies
• Reference details