Beyond the Brick and Mortar—Two Years Later (Part 2)

Vendors and Retailers collaborate and partner in the new digital space of e-commerce.
by John Kennedy

In this second installment of a two-part series on the E-Commerce movement, John shares “The What & The How” of the E-Commerce Connect program and invites Group Members to enjoy the benefits of the additional revenue while reducing your inventory and labor costs. There will also be a panel discussion at The Fall Event discussing the E-Commerce Connect Program.

Two years ago, this past May, I was invited to write an article about the growing trend of independent garden centers looking to increase their revenue and relevance within the convenience economy space of e-commerce. The link to the initial article can be found HERE. And the Part 1 of this message is in my Group Blog HERE.

How E-Commerce Connect Works:
An independent garden center can choose a template, or use their existing e-commerce site through Shopify or WooCommerce, and then set up and price their own curated collections of plants and products they choose through OrderEase and the participating suppliers. The IGC has full control over all product choices, pricing, branding and vendors. All at an affordable price point and minimal start-up effort.

In addition to helping IGCs enter the E-Commerce space, BoomerWrangle offers customizable social media posts, a community of support, education and speakers who are subject matter experts to ensure the garden center has everything they need in order to be successful. BoomerWrangle also leverages The Garden Center Group Partners for Success in their effort to offer best-in-class brands to ensure maximum success.

Sunrise Marketing owner, Kurt Fromherz, a WooCommerce/Web developer, was introduced to the E-Commerce Connect Program at MANTS through Jessica DeGraaf of Proven Winners. Kurt has always been on the cutting edge of technology in the garden center community and his Sunrise Marketing App Platform is utilized by many North American IGCs. 

Kurt states, “What makes the E-Commerce Connect Program different is the platform. Installation is the easiest method I have seen. We were able to on-board a new client in less than an hour. This is a program I can feel comfortable recommending to all of my clients.”

Another early adopter to the E-Commerce Connect Program is Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants, with its amazing new Firefly Petunia from Light.Bio. Voted one of Time Magazine’s top innovative products of 2025, and grown, among other locations, in Jerome, Idaho by Jennifer Moss and her team at Moss Greenhouses, the Firefly Petunia is now available for drop-shipping through Raker-Roberta’s for IGCs who are now participating in the E-Commerce Connect Program.

Jennifer Moss shares, “IGCs don’t always have abundant resources to pull off a full e-commerce solution to compete in today’s marketplace. It is even tricky for growers in most cases. OrderEase gives an affordable option for them to still participate in the digital space while helping their actual customer with their garden needs. It is truly a win/win for all parties. Moss Greenhouses is excited to see where this grows and evolves. It is a great innovation and tool for the future.”

 Not sure if your customers will be interested in the new plant varieties you see at the shows? Unsure if buying certain plants or products will offer a solid return on your investment? No worries. Your e-commerce site can become your test market with no out-of-pocket expense.

Low Risk/High Reward is the name of the game.

TDI Brands, a trusted partner to the IGC industry for over 29 years, is another super user of the OrderEase B2B platform and is now offering drop-shipping to the participating independent garden centers in the E-Commerce Connect program, whether direct to store or to the IGC customer. 

In fact, to test the program, I ordered a yellow watering can from Sunnypoint Garden Center in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, and it was drop-shipped to our door in Flagler Beach, Florida from TDI Brands in Jasper, Indiana. Truly game-changing for the IGC industry.

Holly Mundy, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for TDI Brands states, “The trend of e-commerce is only going up. There are still consumers who order on-line like they did during Covid. By offering E-Commerce Connect, garden centers can now provide a wider range of products to a wider audience.”

Offering a 24/7 endless aisle option where customers can buy on their time and on their terms will only strengthen the customer/IGC relationship, offer an innovative way to navigate around bad weather days, and create stronger partnerships with suppliers and vendors.

Rich Christakes of Alsip Nursery and Ship My Plants closes with, “Being in the plant e-commerce business for the long haul, across multiple brands, it made perfect sense for us to collaborate with OrderEase and Willoway. We love the access to deep and diverse inventory and it’s a “no brainer” to connect with reputable partners who share our vision of getting plants to people who might not otherwise have easy access to them.”

As the music continues to play in the garden center retail space, whether staccato or legato, and the race for revenue and relevance accelerates, the only person who should be left holding the plant or product when the music stops is the customer!

Whether it was purchased the old-fashioned way at a brick and mortar or the forward-thinking approach of E-Commerce Connect, the world is wide enough for both, and the customer is willing to wait for it… and pay for it.

Watch the Recorded Webinar:
On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, John and Souny organized a webinar to showcase E-Commerce Connect. Click on the image below to watch the presentation.

Interested in learning more about the BoomerWrangle E-Commerce Connect program? Details are below.

Visit: Your ConnectSpace