Winter Gazette 2017- Griffin Greenhouse Supplies
Hey, Siri, What’s New?
Blazing New Trails in Retail Sales
By John Johnston
In this highly automated, self-service culture, where can a retail buyer turn for advice on new products? Has retailing come down to asking Siri about what we should buy and sell? Siri, of course, is the digital assistant inside Apple’s popular mobile devices. “What’s missing from my assortment?” you may ask.“What’s trending?”
Every distributor has their exclusive vendors and specific product assortment, carefully selected among the many manufacturer options. Do you look for product opportunities to differentiate your store—items that surrounding retailers might not offer? Or do you tend not to stray from the single-distributor offerings? Are you happy with your sales results? Many garden-center buyers look for products that fit their selling strategy (which includes differentiation), their store brand and their ultimate goal to increase sales and profits for their stores.
If you’re a retailer that’s on the discovery trail every year, you may be interested in some of the retail offerings fromGriffin. Our lineup includes options from every manufacturer we represent that can fill a void, or offer a product or brandthat’s not sold in the box stores. Hey, Siri, what’s new in lawn and garden products?
The cost of exploration
Trade shows, distributor shows and other industry events all assist the buyer in his or her quest to find the next great product or service—but these resources come at a price for both retailers and vendors.
From the retailer’s perspective, scheduling time and funding the excursion are considerations that every owner faces.Often, time and money are barriers between buyers and a hands-on sourcing process.
Manufacturers must also justify the costs associated with traveling to and maintaining a presence at these events; it’s often quite expensive for them to participate. Many vendors now pick and choose their trade shows based upon the anticipated attendance of retailers and buyers; they can’t exhibit indiscriminately anymore. When they do exhibit at trade shows, they often focus on additions to their existing lines. These products are relatively safe bets, as new purchases can account for a large portion of any manufacturer’s growth.
Taken together, it’s gotten tougher for buyers and vendors to connect on new products and new categories. Depending on the size and breadth of your store’s offer, one show may notbe enough anymore. Buying from a photograph doesn’t offer the same sense of certainty about a product or the opportunity to see, touch and question that comes with face-to-face interaction. Hey,Siri, what should I do?
Procurement evolution
Time is money. In the past, buyers would prepare for trade shows, and plan to order 70-80 percent of their spring needs upfront. Mistakes on quantities would be minimal. Reorders would happen when a distributor sales repstopped by weekly, providing a list of recommended products and scouting the shelves for out-of-stock items. This approach worked well and made life easy.
Today, many buyers book less than half of their business during show season, with the balance of reorders dependent upon how spring sales develop.Being heavy or loaded with inventory in anticipation of sales has been replaced by a just-in-time approach to inventory from local suppliers. This philosophical shift has become popular, but it’s neither foolproof nor without risk. Buyers must consider available supply and demand from more than one source.
Point-of-sale (POS) systems have helped buyers with inventory and open-to-buy efficiency, but many retailers don’t support POS in their stores. In-season reordering will continue to be a challenge for those with limited manpower.
In-person sales calls may be fewer and further between than they used to be, as distributor rep territories become larger and more spread out. Meanwhile, the pace at retail is accelerated: Consumers spend less time in-store. They want what they want, and they want it now. Today’s buyer can’t always delay purchasing decisions for the next rep visit.
The responsibility for sourcing and ordering products has become do-it-yourself for many retailers. It’s done whenever time is available, or scheduled away from the sales floor to ensure quick replenishment. Hey,Siri, dial customer service!
Risk, reward and resources
Whether we like it or not, change happens. We adjust. We learn to adapt for survival’s sake. In the business world, only the strong survive. Getting ahead at the garden center has never been more challenging, but the rewards are great for those who are resourceful.
When your Griffin sales representative comes calling, put him or her to work! Sales professionals are driven to see their customers succeed. Let your rep do the homework for you on your toughest product categories or vendor lines, the ones that are difficult for you to review and order regularly. Your rep can sort through new products, new vendors, exclusives and other options, offering guidance and suggestions that are relevant to your operation. The results can include less risky buying decisions and greater rewards in the form of hot new products or trends for your store!
For the categories you continue to navigate on your own, make sure you’re taking advantage of every resource available. The Griffin Retail catalog offers a wealth of product information to guide your selections—and our 2017 Retail catalog is headed your way later this month!
Have you subscribed to our e-mail programs? We offer several to meet our customers’ needs. Our monthly Retail e-blasts include product specials along with timely tips for promotion ideas, space-planning advice and merchandising best practices. For those with production space, our GGSPro tech services team sends out a monthly tip covering pest or disease control, diagnostic help, crop culture insights and more. Other e-blasts are available from our Hard Goods and Live Goods divisions, as well as the digital edition of the Griffin Gazette. Check out our e-mail programs and subscribe at
When you’re ready to place your next order, check out Onliant—Griffin’s new online ordering platform.Onliant is one website – – that connects you to everything Griffin has to offer: retail supplies, hard goods, seed, cuttings, young plants and beyond. Learn more about Onliant on page XX in this edition of the Griffin Gazette.
These toolscan provide some much-needed assistance to any buyer who’s time-starved and needing support wherever and whenever possible.
Hey, Siri, what’s the weather report for the weekend?