The indoor gardening industry does it right.
This magazine
, and others like it are free to our customers. We receive them from our suppliers to hand out to our customers. They are a fantastic tool for us. As soon as we realize that a customer has an interest in the subject matter they get one of the magazines. Our suppliers even have a retail priced catalog that we are able to give to the customers. They often call in orders from the catalog.
Why is it that the indoor-hydroponic community is so far ahead of the rest of the garden industry when it comes to customer support? The free magazines are of course paid for by the various advertisers in the magazine. That doesn’t change the fact that the magazines are very interesting, with articles about gardening that would shame many others. The last issue of Maximum-Yield contained articles titled, “Successful Cymbidium Growing”, “Next generation of LEDs”, “Moisture Maters”, “10 Steps to Gardening withNature”,”Grow Your Own Wheat Grass Indoors”, and “Worm Power!From Waste to Worthwhile”.
Where is the rest of the gardening industry? Why are the growers and other suppliers we deal with not doing this same thing? Where is the free garden magazine that garden centers can hand out to customers? Our information as well as other suppliers information is listed by state in the back of the magazine. So after becoming inspired by something you read you can quickly find out where to buy the materials for the project.
No mater what you think about hydroponics, or indoor gardening, the indoor gardening industry is doing it right. There is intense competition amongst vendors and retailers, yet the message still get’s out. Every hydroponic shop I visit, and there are well over a dozen in our immediate area, have these magazines, handouts, posters, etc. The answer on how to attract more people, including the younger gardener to our garden centers is being answered by the indoor gardening industry.
When will we see younger customers walking around wearing tee-shirts advertising their favorite nursery, garden center , or product? When will we see people hanging cool posters in the rec room with fantastic artwork concerning their favorite garden brand? Sure the industry has a certain “bad boy” reputation, which is what makes it so popular with the younger crowd. So did organic gardening in the 1970′s. My how things have changed.
Wow fantastic potential for year round sales,how do we start ? should we set up an indoor veg area? hold workshops?where do we get supplies and advice ?At last I see where you are going with this ,it can work in nursery retail.Anyone with advice on where to start?
It is great to look closely at what other industries are doing and how they do what they do. The garden center and nursery industry’s groove has become quite a rut. Times like these may help some companies break out and really innovate.
There is also some great innovation in the water garden industry although the fad bubble has passed it is still a good niche for many companies. I have clients whose water garden category is steady, profitable, and growing again now that those who weren’t really committed and passionate for the long haul have dropped out.
There are some magazines of the type you are speaking of around the country in certain market areas such as St. Louis, Seattle, New England, etc. but they do not seem to be making a difference for my clients who have them in their stores in the same way you speak of. You could be right and the clientele of indoor growing has a more intense desire to learn how to be successful as an indoor gardener and therefore reads and responds to those tools. Publishing is a tougher business than ours. Maybe one of the publishers of the magazines you speak of will take a look over here for a new opportunity?
The marketing support for the ‘other’ segments of the garden industry all goes to your friends at the big boxes.
Same thing’ll start to happen to the indoor/hydro scene if it grows as you’re expecting it will.