Being Independent is GREAT... 
but you're on your own to figure out how to grow and manage your business.

For less than $375/month ($12.20 per day) you can be an active part of a network of more than 140 independent garden centers, just like you, to learn and share business-building ideas and experiences.

The Garden Center Group provides an environment for the open exchange of ideas, collaboration, best practices, and information to fuel success. This community brings together a diverse group of independent retailers from across North America to share, create and multiply the capabilities beyond that of any one individual garden center.

The Group provides you with direction, support, guidance, and assistance in some of the most important aspects of running your garden center. You'll find proven methods, techniques and principles coming straight from centers in The Group as well as from a carefully selected team of Service Providers. Communication plays an important role in providing Group centers with valuable, business-building ideas. We keep you in touch through a variety of channels.

To Download a brief 3-panel Group Overview:  CLICK HERE (PDF)

Sharing data, benchmarking, and experiences with fellow garden centers, vendors, and sponsors
GROUPtalk – our weekly Enews
GROUPtalk LIVE – monthly Zoom sessions on hot topics
Group Email ListServes – subscribe to 6 different categories, plus 6 POS User Groups
Weekly Department Review (WDR) – weekly sales data from more than 100 garden centers
Annual P&L Study – industry-exclusive extensive financial benchmarking
Mystery Shopper Program – benchmarking across all Group shops
Full Group Member Contacts – direct access to other like-minded garden center owners
Group Meetings – The Annual Fall Event and Other Activities
Retailers’ Choice Awards™ – at industry trade shows (Cultivate, Farwest, TPIE, MANTS)
Partners for Success – programs & products to help you increase sales and profit
Fall Event Sponsors – reviews of new product introductions

Group Website Resources
Clients Only Home Page – weekly updates and Group news links
Client List – direct links to websites and emails plus photos and Google location maps
Partners for Success – direct links to service providers and preferred vendors
Business Tools – forms, templates and documents to help you manage your day-to-day operations
GROUPtalk Enews – archived weekly in the Blog
Group Events – listing of trade show gatherings, The Fall Event details, GROUPtalk LIVE schedule
Meeting Notes – notes, handouts, trade show reviews
WDR Reports – posted weekly
GROUPtalk LIVE – sessions and recordings posted monthly

Collaboration with our Service Providers – Professionals in their areas of expertise

In today’s business climate, trying to go it alone is doing it the hard way. The Garden Center Group offers you access to the most innovative ideas in the industry. Proven methods that take the guesswork out of important business decisions. Direction, support, guidance and step-by-step assistance in some of the most important aspects of operating a successful garden center in these radically changing times. And best of all, you’ll be part of The Group – a multi-million dollar alliance of some of the industry’s leading garden centers. Our Service Providers include:  Robert Hayter, Tom Kegley, Steve Kendall, John Kennedy, Tim Quebedeaux, Sid Raisch, Jean Seawright, and of course Danny Summers.

Our semi-annual retainer includes phone and email access to industry experts with expanded service available for additional fees:

Business Strategies – Sid Raisch, Horticultural Advantage
Financial Management & Analysis – Tim Quebedeaux, KPI Consulting
Team Building & Succession – John Kennedy, BoomerWrangle Consulting
Human Resource Services – Jean Seawright, Seawright & Associates
Marketing Strategies – Tom Kegley, Tom Kegley Communications
Gail Vanik, Seasoned Gardeners Consulting
Marketing-Integrated Digital – The DesignWorks, Steve Kendall
Property Development & Site Design – Robert Hayter, LKC Engineering
Greenhouse & Hort Specialist _ Vic Vanik, Seasoned Gardeners Consulting
Mystery Shop Program _ Danny Summers, The Garden Center Group

To find out how your company can be part of the industry's most unique and exciting organization, contact us today!

Sharing is at the heart of The Group!

We invite you to Get In Touch today!

NEED HELP in connecting or implementing any new services at your business?

Contact Danny Summers today and we’ll get you moving toward taking full advantage of The Group!

To Download a brief 3-panel Group Overview:  CLICK HERE (PDF)