CHICAGO--More than 200 retailers toured garden centers in the Chicagoland area today as a prelude to the Independent Garden Center Show, which opens tomorrow at Navy Pier. Attendees got the chance to visit four fantastic stores: Alsip Home and Nursery, Sid's Home & Garden Showplace, Platt Hill Nursery, and City Escape Garden Center. Participants were also treated to a tour and lunch at Henri Studio.
I manged to take almost 200 photos over the course of the day. That should serve as some indication of how many great ideas attendees found to steal, er, borrow. Time and space prevent me from covering everything, but here are a few gems:
Alsip recently redesigned their fountain display area and has seen sales soar more than 200%. What made the difference? Keeping the fountains running, clean, well-signed and displayed in a critical mass.
Grocery stores are offering 10 cents off your purchase if you bring in your own bags. Why not garden centers? Platt Hill Nursery put its own spin on this sustainability strategy by encouraging customers to reuse cardboard trays.
Also at Platt Hill Nursery was one of the best compact display gardens I've ever seen. Each specimen is marked with a number that corresponds to a planting guide posted nearby.
Retailing in a greenhouse is tough. Soaring eaves make it hard to create an intimate space. City Escape Garden Center uses this space to its advantage by displaying large lanterns that effectively fill the void.
-- Sarah
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