Retail Nurseries

Selling the fall season

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 21, 2022

The 2022 spring garden season in the Pacific Northwest is probably not going to go down in the annals of history as a record sales year for local garden centers. After two robust years, the sales did come on the scene, but it was as if the air was let out of the balloon. Garden […]

July 2022

By Bill Goloski — Posted June 29, 2022

This month’s issue delves into relationships: The pairing of houseplants and hard goods by retailers; the ways wholesale nurseries nurture sales from their customers; and the deep selection of spruce varieties growers that growers love to produce. For the Farwest Show, we’ve also included the New Varieties Showcase feature to give readers a first look […]

A natural pairing

By Emily Lindblom — Posted June 22, 2022

Retailers find success pairing houseplants with a new breed of hard goods Judy Alleruzzo has witnessed many different trends during her 35 years at Al’s Garden & Home in Woodburn, where she is the houseplants and perennials buyer. In the past six to seven years, succulents have been the go-to plants that reignited the houseplant […]

Meeting online customer expectations

By Tracy Ilene Miller — Posted April 20, 2022

Prepare before jumping into online retail, lest the opportunity become a pitfall COVID-19 pushed many garden centers to catch the growing wave of online shopping. E-commerce sales are forecasted to account for nearly a fifth of all U.S. retail sales by 2025, according to Statista. Total retail e-commerce sales in 2021 increased 17.9%, according to […]

Trees that stand above

By Mike Darcy — Posted March 18, 2022

This issue of Digger is devoted to trees,and this made me reflect on some of the many benefits they provide for us. Perhaps Henry David Thoreau summed my reflections best in his famous words: “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Trees certainly do contribute much to our […]

February 2022 — Retail Outlook issue

By Bill Goloski — Posted February 1, 2022

As home gardening activity continues to grow during the pandemic, the February issue of Digger asks how independent garden centers are capitalizing on the moment. Retailers share how they’re following color trends, connecting with their customers in the store and online, as well as meeting homeowners’ other garden tool needs. Plus, researchers discuss testing ultraviolet […]

Loyal legions

By Jon Bell — Posted January 25, 2022

Building repeat business and loyal customers isn’t easy – but it works wonders Brenda Powell’s great-grandparents started Garland Nursery in Corvallis, Oregon, 84 years ago. The retail nursery, which sits on six peaceful acres in the country, has passed down through four generations and is now owned by Powell and her siblings, Lee Powell and […]

More than just plants

By Emily Lindblom — Posted January 25, 2022

Hard goods will help build sales, if retailers pay attention to customer needs There is no garden center without plants, but the stock carried shouldn’t necessarily end with green goods. By offering hard goods, retailers can increase the total value of the sale, build profit, and give customers what they want without making them go […]

A green renewal

By Kym Pokorny — Posted January 25, 2022

Trend watchers say green is the hot color, which has implications for garden retailers Whether muted or bright, foliage or flower, color drives the nursery industry, and many trend settlers say green is the Color of the Year for 2022. The first announcement came at last summer’s Cultivate’21 trade show from Garden Media Group, a […]

Emerging with confidence

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 25, 2022

As we enter year three with COVID-19 and its variants raging around us, it appears that most garden centers have made the necessary adaptations to stay open. Initially there was much confusion, and rightly so because we have never been in a situation like this. Many garden centers were temporarily closed to make the necessary […]