Offering customers a calm and comfortable Christmas

There are people who love the Christmas season, and those who are more lukewarm about the holiday. In fact, according to a survey done by YouGov in 2020, Americans are pretty much split down the middle in their feelings about Christmas. While 52% of those polled said they “like Christmas a lot,” the remaining reported a range of dwindling affinity that landed between liking Christmas “somewhat” to “dislike it a lot.”

Other studies have measured what people appreciate or detest about the holiday, with the majority disliking commercialism, expense and crowded stores, but liking time spent with friends and family. How might this data influence how an independent garden center approaches Christmas?

As sellers of plants, we offer comfort and joy 12 months a year. But when it comes to Christmas, most garden centers end up doing the same thing that every other retail store does. They play traditional holiday music, decorate with the standard red-and-green theme and offer empty-calorie cookies on a plate in hopes of capturing customers’ time and dollars.

That standard approach may please the 52% of people who like Christmas a lot, but perhaps there’s a way to please the other 48% as well. What if, along with the trees, wreaths and other traditional goods we offer, IGCs made a point of offering comfort and calm during the darkest days of the year?

Scents that soothe

You can smell cinnamon pinecones and artificial pine at any box store during the holidays. What if your store smelled subtly of the most calming of fragrances, like lavender, jasmine or lemongrass? A simple diffuser with water and essential oils of one of these scents can effortlessly help your customers slow down and relax. The key, of course, is not to overdo it. We’ve all had the experience of walking into a candle store where the smells are so strong that you can’t wait to get back outdoors. With any fragrance, less is more.

Alternative tunes

Those who love traditional Christmas music can hear it anywhere and everywhere. Instead of turning your store’s audio to the tunes that can move from festive to mind-numbing as the season goes on, choose some pleasing classical music instead. Those who have looked at the effect of music on shoppers have seen that people tend to slow their shopping and purchase more when classical music is played. In fact, researchers have long claimed that “the Mozart Effect” assists in improving health and well-being. Why not try some sonatas instead of carols this holiday season?

Healthy snacks and calming beverages

Santa may appreciate a plate of cookies on Christmas Eve, but in a business that increasingly stresses health and wellness, why are we falling into the sugar habit? Offer your customers small paper nut cups or cupcake liners filled with healthy snacks. Unsalted pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, cauliflower popcorn, roasted chickpeas, shelled pistachios or baked cheese crisps are some options easily available in supermarkets.

Drinks that claim to calm are all the rage in the beverage industry, and there are many flavored waters available for those who want to avoid sugar. Serve soothing herbal teas, sparkling water with a thin slice of lemon or other drinks that aim to hydrate instead of hype.

Sit a spell

Provide more seating around your store and greenhouses during December. Extra seating is always appreciated by families who want to know that Granddad has a place to sit while the grandkids pick out a tree, but you might make such areas more fun by suggesting a calming theme for each area. Encourage shoppers to sit and enjoy the surrounding greenery by offering benches where they can enjoy some “Houseplant Heaven” or “Potted Peace.”

An oasis of calm

All of this is not to say that your IGC should ignore Christmas. But it tells customers that when they’re shopping for holiday décor and plants, they can also expect a respite from the same-old-same-old. People are always putting new spins on holiday traditions, and garden centers have the ability to provide their customers, Christmas lovers or not, with an escape from the ordinary shopping experience.