The Value of Off-Shelf Displays

Independent lawn and garden retailers spend a lot of time and effort to ensure their stores are unique, different, shoppable, and more inviting than the average big box store. One of the most impactful merchandising techniques is off-shelf merchandising. Based on customer data, retailers using these methods report a 25%-50% increase in sales. You can have great success by implementing these strategies.

Garden Centers are Plant-Centric Places

Spring sales are all about customers coming into the store looking for new plants, and the adventure of finding and choosing plants. Customers do not often intentionally visit the garden tools and plant care sections of the store. Your opportunity is to get the watering tools and plant care items in a new shoppable place that surprises and reminds buyers that they could use these items. In this way, your garden center adapts to the “Load and Go” outside environment.

Location, Location, Location

Just like the batteries on a clip strip in the toy department at Christmas, you need to get plant care items out with the plants. Many lawns and garden manufacturers now provide good merchandising systems to display products in a garden center.

Placement Matters

Near the cash register, just inside the store, is a prime spot. Putting the display at the end of a row of benches, much like an endcap in store is also very effective. Some products provide risers so the product can be merchandised on the bench just above the plants. Other locations you choose should be shoppable. Putting the display in an “out of the way” location will not generate the results you want.

Move that Product

A movable display is a plus for many reasons. Moving a display to new locations over time gives your regular customers a feel of finding new items and a fresh look at merchandise. Moving the displays to the area that contains the current high-traffic areas will also improve sales. If you have a temporary parking lot location, you may wish to move the items into a secure area during the off hours.

Weatherproof Packaging

The plant area is a very wet and dirty place. Soils, dust, insects, sun, and water can make products look shop-worn and old in a short amount of time. Customers are not drawn to the item with the torn dirty POP card on it. Choose displays of products with a packaging system that is weatherproof and will keep the products from looking old, worn, and dirty. Space in the garden center is always at a premium but making a space for hard goods merchandising will pay off immediately.

Keep It Clean

Once you have chosen the display and a good location for it, keep it clean and well-stocked. Being well-detailed is a very important part of off-shelf merchandising. Customers are less likely to purchase an item if it is in a disheveled state. A neat and tidy display is as powerful as a neat and tidy store.

Following these simple tips will help you sell more tools and plant care products in the garden center.