Displays | Versatility on the retail floor

COURTESY OF VENEZIA’S GARDEN CENTER

Mobility is a great thing to have for a retailer who is dealing in seasonal products. Weather changes and so do merchandising displays. In Mineola, N.Y., Joey Venezia, manager of Venezia’s Garden Center, values the ability to quickly and easily rearrange his store when needed.

That’s where Structural Plastics comes in.

Venezia says his store has had a partnership with Structural Plastics for more than 10 years, since the time his father, Frank, was running the business full-time. Venezia’s Garden Center, a full-service IGC that specializes in statuary and fountains, purchases its merchandising tables and benches exclusively from Structural Plastics, which are made with durable, heavy-duty recycled plastic and can be quickly assembled without tools.

“My dad started dealing with them and over the years, as I got more into merchandising myself, I then took over and I fell in love with the products,” Venezia says.

By using sturdy display tables that can be easily broken down and set up, Venezia can have exactly as much product on the floor as needed. This is especially helpful in the fickle Northeast climate.

“Originally, what drew us toward [the displays] was, we, as a garden center particularly in the Northeast, our seasons are so quick to change and the store is constantly flipping around,” Venezia says. “Whereas we may need 25 or 30 tables for annuals in May, all the sudden, in the second week of June, you cut that in half. What’s so great about that product is you’re just able to easily take it apart and put it together.

“Whereas I may have benches set up rather than tables early in the season, maybe two weeks later, I’m now converting them into bigger platforms so I can fit six-inch, eight-inch, 10-inch pots,” Venezia adds. “That’s what’s perfect about it, just the versatility of the product, it’s unbelievable.”

Venezia says customers have noticed the improvement in the “flow” and navigation of the store. Also, by adding clip-on signs from Structural Plastics that fit into the tables, customers no longer have to ask about pricing information.

The versatility and options of the products, as well as the customer service behind them, makes Venezia confident that Structural Plastics makes a positive impact on his bottom line.

“Since I’ve gotten here and made the switch to just displaying on those tables, [our annual sales] have continued to climb,” he says.