Polishing the Details

Polishing Details

by Danny Summers

As Group Centers are closing the books on Spring 2022 and the first half of the year, this is the perfect time to not only review the results but also begin to set in motion your plans for Polishing Details for the second half of the year and even 2023.

We have just received details from Tim Quebedeaux for The Group's Mid-Year Weekly Department Review (WDR) and we can now see individual category performances compared to previous years.

Let's first begin by looking at the percent of total sales for our key greengoods categories for this spring versus the previous 3 seasons:

Category................2019........2020......2021.....2022
Annuals...................25%.........23%.......21%......22%
Container Gardens...2%...........1%.........1%.........1%
Herbs/Veggies.........4%............5%.........4%.........5%
Perennials..............11%..........11%........11%.......11%
Shrubs....................13%.........14%........15%.......14%
Trees........................6%...........6%..........7%..........7%
Tropical Plants..........6%..........6%..........7%..........7%
Total Greengoods..67%........66%........66%........67%

I find it interesting that in spite of the fluctuation of total sales over the past 4 years, total greengoods sales percentage has held steady and as we see for 2022, even increased. That's an important point for we know from our Annual P&L Study... the higher the percentage of sales for greengoods, the better the bottom line will be.

This year's total sales are at -5.5% from mid-year 2021. That is a result of Average Sale being at +8.3% and Transaction Counts being at -12.3%. We also know that across the country, spring was compressed on both ends. The seasonal tug-a-war between ole-man winter and spring lasted longer than in the last two seasons. And the hot temps of summer seemed to arrive earlier as well.

Last week I challenged each Center to analyze any available data to understand how transaction counts are down. In our very unscientific poll, most Centers indicated you do have the ability to identify most guests and number of shops. If so, did you see most of your guests but they just came less often? Or did some just not come at all? I hope your answer will be most came, but just not as often. This makes sense with a much shorter season.

This week, I will ask you to take a quick poll to answer the questions above HERE.

Now's the time for Polishing Details: The results of Spring 2022 are in. You most likely have more inventory to clear out in the coming weeks. Most Centers have already begun seasonal clearance sales. So now is the time to create plans for making changes this fall and winter. Whether for product or services planning for the 2023 season, or changes to your facility, moving forward is the time to make your plans and set the schedules for the needed changes.

In the next few months, you will be setting plans in motion for product orders for spring 2023. Both your grower and distributor vendors will be expecting your orders. Before making those commitments be sure you know your best and worse performers. For years, Steve Bailey and Tim Quebedeaux have worked with Group Centers to drill down on your best margin dollar items. It might be time to schedule a visit with Tim. Get on his calendar early!

Remember, Polishing Details can mean many things.
Polishing your Team efforts.
Polishing your Product and Services offering for 2023.
And of course Polishing Your Center to be the very best and be THE PLACE your guests feel welcomed, feel inspired, and just feel better every time they visit.

Polish the Details!



And now let's talk about your plans for The Fall Event 2022.

Have you made your hotel reservations? Be sure to arrive on or before Sunday to allow time for seeing some of Kansas City's amazing sites. You can see details on our Best of Kansas City page HERE.

We hope to see you in Kansas City, September 19-22, 2022 where we'll be exploring Beyond the Boundaries of Garden Retailing. The Fall Event is all about sharing, learning, and growing. No matter how long you’ve been in retail or what position you hold in your company, there’s still something to learn. It's a Can't-Miss event! For complete program details (including a new interactive FLIPBOOK), registration, and hotel information CLICK HERE. And watch for more program details of The Fall Event 2002 each week.

Sharing is at the heart of The Group and your ideas are very important. If you have any trouble logging into The Group WebSystem, please let me know. Are you and your staff all subscribed to our eLists such as GroupEs, Retail-Grower, Retail-Landscape, Owners-Only, and a number of others? Need help subscribing? Let me know so I can show you how you can sign up.
Thanks for sharing!

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, Sid Raisch, John Kennedy, Jean Seawright, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!

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