Unexpected Service

by Danny Summers

Once in a while, we experience Unexpected Service. Those moments when service goes above and beyond what's expected, leaving a memorable and positive impression. It's those little extras or thoughtful gestures that surprise and delight us, creating a connection beyond just a meal or a transaction.

The idea for this message came from two recent and very different restaurant experiences. One, a traditional restaurant, and believe it or not, one a fast food drive-thru.

The new GROUPtalk LIVE Series for 2025 is here.  Each month following a new GROUPtalk LIVE Session will be planned on the second Thursday (see schedule below). Topics and areas of discussion varies each month. Watch for upcoming session topics. Following each session, a recording is added to this page to allow for post-event viewing. We are adding the most recent sessions on top.

Learning Opportunities Ahead

by Danny Summers

Being committed to the concept of Lifetime Learning is something I believe we all should support. Every day as we wake, we have the opportunity to learn new things. The experiences of each day continue to add to our collective knowledge and help us adapt to a changing world.

Management Systems and New eList
Last week, we had a special GROUPtalk LIVE Session. This one was a roundtable discussion (without a table) on the use of different Business Management Operating Systems.

Beyond the Brick and Mortar—Two Years Later (Part 2)

Vendors and Retailers collaborate and partner in the new digital space of e-commerce.
by John Kennedy

In this second installment of a two-part series on the E-Commerce movement, John shares “The What & The How” of the E-Commerce Connect program and invites Group Members to enjoy the benefits of the additional revenue while reducing your inventory and labor costs. There will also be a panel discussion at The Fall Event discussing the E-Commerce Connect Program.

Two years ago, this past May, I was invited to write an article about the growing trend of independent garden centers looking to increase their revenue and relevance within the convenience economy space of e-commerce. The link to the initial article can be found HERE. And the Part 1 of this message is in my Group Blog HERE.

Becoming The Experience Maker

by Danny Summers

I did not come up with the title of this message myself. Becoming the Experience Maker is the title of Dan Gingiss' new book, which is the 2nd edition of his award-winning book, The Experience Maker, originally published in 2022. Dan says...

"In today’s competitive retail environment, Garden Centers can no longer rely on price or product alone to stand out – customers have more choices than ever. So, how can your business cultivate long-term loyalty and turn shoppers into passionate advocates? The answer is Customer Experience."

Beyond the Brick and Mortar—Two Years Later–Part 1

Vendors and Retailers collaborate and partner in the new digital space of e-commerce.
by John Kennedy

In this first installment of a two-part series on the E-Commerce movement, John explains “The Why” regarding IGC’s leveraging technology to reduce the impact of weather from their foot traffic and expand your customer experience into a 24/7 model.

Two years ago, this past May, I was invited to write an article about the growing trend of independent garden centers looking to increase their revenue and relevance within the convenience economy space of e-commerce. The link to the initial article can be found HERE. 

A Simple Idea That Simply Works!

by Danny Summers

Last week, we had a very active group of Garden Center Owners and Managers participate in the Retailers' Choice Awards™ search at Cultivate'25. The show is always a haven for new plants, and this year was no different. The Retailers had no problem spotting many deserving plants and products – 53 were nominated and 15 were awarded.

What Began 20 Years Ago
As I begin to recap the Retailers' Choice Awards Winners presented at Cultivate'25, I thought I would share how the idea for this effort began. It was 2005, and Karen and I were managing the Southern Nursery Association (SNA) and its large trade show in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center. It was our 17th SNA Show to produce. That year, SNA 2005 was in its 3rd year of a new expanded floor plan, and one section was dedicated to everything Retail.

Greengoods Gains

by Danny Summers

Last week Tim Quebedeaux, The Group's Financial Management & Analysis Guru, released our Mid-Year Weekly Department Review Report.

As I dug into the numbers, I found some interesting stats on how our categories stack up against each other. If you are reporting in the WDR, you may have already done some of this yourself. If not, I hope this is of interest to you.

The Search for Unique

by Danny Summers

If you are like me, late this week I will head to Columbus, Ohio to Cultivate'25. It is one of the industry's largest trade shows and the creation of our national trade association, American Horticulture Association (aka AmericanHort).

A Little Backstory: If you are relatively new to the industry, Cultivate has its origins as the Ohio Short Course, produced by the Ohio Florists Association or OFA, and commonly known for years as The Short Course. Ironically, there really wasn't anything "short" about it. While it had some "florist" related sessions, the event grew into the nation's largest show for greenhouse growers. They were the main targeted attendee, and therefore most of the exhibitors were offering everything a greenhouse grower would need to produce annuals and any other greenhouse-produced plant types.

From Your Guest's Perspective - Part 2

by Sid Raisch

How does this place look... From your Guest’s Perspective? - Part 2

Owners and Managers. Sid is back in the house. Let's talk straight. (CLICK HERE to read or refresh your memory on Step #1 through Step #4. You don’t want to miss it!)

Four Quarts in a Two Quart Jar!

by Danny Summers

I hope the title here has caught your attention...if so, it worked!

For anyone who is around me for any period of time, a phrase you may hear is one I learned from my Dad. As someone who was raised on a small farm in north-central Missouri, he had so many great idioms (some, of course, I would not share here).

A Big Ask!

by Danny Summers

Peer-to-peer sharing within The Group is extremely important and, as a whole, is much of "the glue" that connects the community of Group Centers. Most of it is done through our numerous eLists (email list-serves for major and subgroups) as well as the Weekly Department Review (WDR).

When we have a strong need to quickly connect with others who have experience or knowledge of the subject at hand. Seeing a conversation about a topic and quickly interacting directly in a side conversation can be important.

From Your Guest's Perspective 

by Sid Raisch

How does this place look... From your Guest’s Perspective?

Owners and Managers. Sid is now in the house. Let's talk straight.

What's New?

by Danny Summers

In many ways, we live in a world of "What's New?" Retail in general thrives in the search for "What's New?" Whether it's automobiles, apparel, technology, web technologies, or social platforms, they all constantly strive to show us "What's New?"

In the world of Horticulture, much of our world of "What's New?" revolves around New Plants. If you have been in the industry very long, can you remember a time when you were at a trade show, walking down the aisle and seeing an amazing new plant for the very first time? If so, that new plant made a real impression on you. And depending on how impactful that new plant has been, it is most likely one of the impressions you will remember for a long time.

Every Plant Has a Story!

by Danny Summers

This is not the typical message you find me sharing here in GROUPtalk. This is...

A Call to Breeders, Growers... and Retailers!

Telling Your Story has been a standard emphasis here in The Group for decades. It began with Robert Hendrickson pushing each Center to tell their story to their audience. For Robert, the idea was to make the connection to the customer and build upon that for years. You could say... life-long relationships.

What's Your Therapy?

by Danny Summers

Four weeks ago... you were REALY BUSY! It was the first full week of May, and just 3 days away from Mother's Day. That's why I believe most of you have not seen what I am about to share.

It was on Thursday, May 8th and our May GROUPtalk LIVE session. Nicholas Staddon shared an important message titled "What's Your Therapy."

A World of Workshops

by Danny Summers

One area I am always watching as I receive many of your enews is new ideas or topics for workshops or events. Our Centers are creating some amazing events these days. I wish you would share more across The Group. We should develop a regular sharing in our Marketing eList for each of your unique events... SO PLEASE SHARE!

Here's one topic I bet you don't have on your list (except for Down to Earth)... many of you have Pumpkin Carving events... but how about:

The Search for an Oasis

by Danny Summers

Everyone needs some form of an Oasis. It's a place to escape the day-to-day activities, routines, and stresses. For some, it may be exercise or sports. For others, it could be curling up with a good book. There are a number of ways to find or create an Oasis.

Years ago, an industry effort called The Garden Council had a number of program themes they promoted for everyone to use. They produced text and graphics, as well as some POP. This was well before any social media or internet options.

The True Value of What You Do

by Danny Summers

I know this is most likely one of the busiest weeks of the year for you as a Garden Retailer. You now have Mother's Day weekend behind you, and Centers are reporting Week 19 for WDR reporting this week. I am sure last week was a big week for you.

Something else very important happened last week. With it being such a busy week for you, I understand if you missed it. The May GROUPtalk LIVE Session was last Thursday, and Nicholas Staddon presented "What's Your Therapy?"

ReThink Marketing: Part 3 – Selling More

by Sid Raisch

Last time, I ended with this:

"Next time, I’m going to share with you exactly how to wrap this commitment up and tie it off with a bow—to do something so simple and so critically important. That’s right, it's to SELL MORE of the only thing we measure that really matters to the people who buy it—our products and services."