How Important is NEW?
How Important is NEW?
by Danny Summers
We all know the answer to this question...
It can be VERY important!

We all know the answer to this question...
It can be VERY important!
Reporting period: June 18 – June 24, 2026
| Posts analyzed 327 | |
| Retailers 47 | |
| Promotions 45 | |
| Events 52 | |
| Product mentions 143 |
Independent garden retailers are pivoting from the spring planting rush toward high-engagement events and heat-resistant inventory. By leveraging Pollinator Week and the Summer Solstice, stores are transforming into community destinations through workshops and local flavor fests, moves that successfully bridge the gap between peak spring sales and the slower mid-summer heat.

The term Collective Wisdom could easily be considered a synonym for The Garden Center Group. The very reason The Group was created in 2000 was to take the very best ideas and practices and help every Group Center.
As the Weekly Department Review (WDR) launched in 2000 and the Annual P&L Study in 2004, the Collective Wisdom concept began to build.
Reporting period: June 11 – June 17, 2026
| Posts analyzed 306 | |
| Retailers 47 | |
| Promotions 43 | |
| Events 41 | |
| Product mentions 69 |
Independent garden retailers are currently navigating the transition from peak spring planting to summer maintenance and holiday-driven foot traffic. We are seeing a synchronized push for heat-tolerant perennials and organic pest solutions alongside high-engagement experiential events like Father's Day workshops and summer solstice celebrations. This shift highlights a strategic move toward 'lifestyle' retailing, where plants are bundled with local produce, artisan goods, and family-oriented activities.

As Group Centers report their numbers each week through the WDR, Tim Quebedeaux compiles the weekly summaries that give us a clear view of where each Center, each Region, and The Group as a whole stand—both for the week and year-to-date. Every week, we dig into the numbers looking for new trends, patterns, and insights that can help us better understand what's happening in our businesses.
One area I pay particular attention to is a group of categories I call our Standard Greengoods Group. I started tracking these categories years ago and, while there are certainly a few inconsistencies, they provide a valuable way to identify long-term seasonal patterns and shifts in consumer buying behavior.
Reporting period: June 4 – June 10, 2026
| Posts analyzed - 310 | |
| Retailers - 46 | |
| Promotions - 35 | |
| Events - 42 | |
| Product mentions | 35 |
As summer temperatures climb, independent garden retailers are shifting focus from spring planting to high-heat maintenance and long-term landscape resilience. This week reveals a heavy emphasis on thermal-tolerant annuals, specialized irrigation education, and early promotional pushes for the upcoming U.S. Semiquincentennial. By blending expert advice on drought-resistant species with high-engagement social events, retailers are positioning themselves as essential lifestyle partners rather than just seasonal product suppliers.

As spring winds down and Group Centers begin to promote summer activities and events, we also have major trade shows in our sights. The Group will focus on both Cultivate'26 and Farwest'26. Both of these are listed below in our Retailers' Choice Awards signups. Be sure to participate if you will be at either.
New Plant Varieties and Products Galore
Both events feature large numbers of new plant varieties and new product showcases highlighting what can be found throughout the show floor. It's a great place to begin your search for great new items. Here are a couple of things we already know to expect to find...
Reporting period: May 28 – June 3, 2026
| Posts analyzed | 295 |
| Retailers | 47 |
| Promotions | 30 |
| Events | 29 |
| Product mentions | 41 |
Independent garden retailers are transitioning from the spring planting rush into a season of experiential retail, focusing heavily on pollinator education and lifestyle-oriented events. As temperatures rise, the industry is shifting its product mix toward heat-tolerant varieties and high-end outdoor living essentials to maintain foot traffic and average transaction value.

Registration is Now Open! We're excited to share all the exciting details for The Fall Event 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio–and we hope you can join us
They shape how we engage with our audiences. They help connect customers to the experiences of nature, gardening, and plants. And they create opportunities for growth through meaningful relationships with fellow members of The Garden Center Group.
Reporting period: May 21 – May 27, 2026
| Posts analyzed | 355 |
| Retailers | 50 |
| Promotions | 73 |
| Events | 35 |
| Product mentions | 33 |
Independent garden retailers are currently bridging the gap between spring planting and summer maintenance, using the Memorial Day holiday to clear annual inventory while introducing heat-hardy perennials. We see a significant shift toward 'solution-oriented' retailing, where shops are bundling plants with expert advice on pest prevention, climate resilience, and water-wise gardening. This strategy aims to keep foot traffic consistent as shoppers move from the initial planting rush into a season focused on outdoor living and home-grown harvests.

This overall subject is not new to The Group. It has become a pillar of who our Garden Centers are since 2020 or even prior. From Florence Williams' The Nature Fix story in 2021 to numerous blog messages and Group conversations, the benefits of gardening and plants continue to gain acceptance.
But, over the recent months, we have began to see the focus on how nature can benefit our lives intensify. It is now becoming even at a prescription level!
Reporting period: May 13 – May 20, 2026
Download a copy HERE| Posts analyzed - 435 | |
| Retailers - 50 | |
| Promotions - 24 | |
| Events - 28 | |
| Product mentions - 115 |
Independent garden retailers are pivoting from spring planting to summer endurance, heavily promoting 'heat-loving' annuals and drought-tolerant perennials as temperatures rise. Many businesses are integrating lifestyle elements—such as boutique fashion and food truck events—to transform garden centers into social destinations during the peak shopping season. There is a notable emphasis on educational content, particularly regarding pollinator support and pest management, to build long-term customer success.

A lot has changed in the way Garden Centers communicate with their audience. If we travel back to around the time The Group was formed in 2000, we would see Centers using a combination of direct mail, local newspapers, and the emerging use of email, with support from basic, relatively new websites.
Today, websites have certainly morphed into dynamic presentation tools, with more interaction with live inventory and buying options.

The ideas for this message actually began back in June of 2023. Seth Reed, then Sales & Marketing Manager for Ball/Darwin Perennials, asked me to invite some of our best-performing Garden Centers in the Perennials Category to come to the Darwin Perennials Day to share details of how they position Perennials. They did a wonderful job, and it was a great experience.
One of the observations I came away with from their presentations was...

The idea for this message began with the way a clock pendulum swings from one side to the other. Whether you are looking at styles and colors in apparel, paint colors for home decor and furniture, or even cars, next year will they be more square or rounded in the newest styles, one thing that is consistent... is change.
Ever heard someone say, "If you don't like the way [it] is (substitute any topic you like for "it" here), just wait. That too will change." Certainly, styles come and go, and many even return. This is where the reference to How the Pendulum Swings or Newton's Third Law of Motion comes in.

At the very core of The Garden Center Group, Connection is central to what we do, together. Through the numerous forms of sharing in The Group, whether emailing through any of our 16 eLists to connect with peers or all the numbers shared in our Weekly Department Review, or our annual gathering, The Fall Event, the word Connection describes what is happening within our community.
The word Connection is one I have also used often here in GROUPtalk and in blog messages.

What are the REAL BENEFITS of being CONSISTENT?
Years ago, Dan Parsons, a senior CPA who served an association that Karen and I managed for 18 years, made a comment that has stuck with me: "In bookkeeping, if you are wrong, it is best to at least be consistently wrong."

In Part 1 last week, we covered the Annual P&L Study for 2025 and the first level of awards, the High Achiever Awards. While Tim Quebedeaux shared the overall benchmarking results from the 2025 study in The Group's March session, we announced the winning Centers for the High Achiever Awards here in GROUPtalk last week. If you missed that, you can catch up HERE.
And now, for the next level of awards, Tim provided this introduction into the Best Practices level...

For Garden Center Owners, it is understandable to wonder and have these thoughts...
All of these concerns are typical, but one of the most important questions is...

A Visual Merchandising Program for Independent Garden Centers
Displaying Confidence is a visual merchandising training + community experience designed specifically for independent garden centers that want their store to feel more inspiring and more shoppable, and be more profitable. Your staff will learn foundational merchandising skills and how to cultivate self leadership in a high-profile role.
Created by Rachel Reynolds of Birds Eye Visual Merchandising (former garden center employee + seasoned nursery visual merchandiser), this program teaches garden center owners and staff how to create intentional, beautiful, high-converting displays that help customers buy more, feel more confident, and stay longer in the store.