This is the 21st Century already. I'm not sure which century it was that life was breathed into the first independent garden center, but we've been around a good while, and if I can have anything to do with it, we aren't headed toward extinction anytime soon. This is in spite of the fact that so many garden center owners and managers are still firmly attached to their flip phones - so last century.

I love local communities, independent businesses, and garden centers, but I'm not going down with any of them. Imagine your community without you - the world without independent garden centers breathing life itself into the air we breathe. What does it look like without us?

A garden center desert is forming across our country. There are places already where the only place to buy plants is in a box store, or online or from a mail order catalog. The writing is already on the wall for many. Small business owners in every industry are becoming weary and aging out. There are so many fewer garden centers and more closing every season. Make a list of those who have closed in the past 10 years in your area right now. You are among the last ones - maybe if we knew the real story on the others you may sooner than later become the last-man-standing - the last garden center in your area.

Would people take plants and gardening seriously at all with only box stores and Amazon to shop from? Would they learn to care for their plants well? Would the industry then be only a seasonal in-and-out sideline? Would gardening be dumbed down to only iron-clad plants that survive the worst conditions and treatment a box store or a plant shipped in a cardboard box can give them? Would you really want to live under these conditions?  Is that what you want for your children and grandchildren to come?

What's disturbing to me is the way so many in our industry are almost gloating over their shriveling advantage of personal service and quality. Meanwhile, we're watching customer traffic drop. Erosion of market is the big issue for us brick & mortar retailers. How low can we go in numbers and still find suppliers willing to support our dwindling effect on their business?

The nibbles and bits of pet store business are already lost to Bark Box. Is plant of the month already lost to the garden center?  Each of these costs a precious shopping trip one of which could include a stop at the other. Whatever the future holds, holding out hope now that the brick & mortar store is immune in any way from the effects of eCommerce is beyond my comprehension. There may be a few will be THAT good, but it won't save an industry. Some of this is really about simple logistics. Competing without a costly but compelling selection whether wide or unique, or without convenience beyond shopping in a retail store is not competing at all any more.

Increasingly, businesses are competing with the effect of Amazon if not the ugly beast itself, while their owners families and employees happily feed the monster. This is causing them to find niche's and to create uniqueness so they don't compete with, or out-compete Amazon - whichever way we look at it. This kind of innovation is always beneficial to the consumer. And then, being a consumer driven marketplace, Amazon tweaks up its algorithms and programming to match that, or to surpass it. Amazon Prime Pantry is an example. Amazon Mom is another. Have you heard about Amazon Dog? Me neither, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't already being tested, or if it is already going. The 13-minute Amazon one-click to drone delivery that just happened this week in the UK sort of trumps all of it for a while. I can't wait to see the next innovation to neutralize that effect. But FAA rules aren't allowing it here, for now. I think we have enough to deal with competing with Amazon Alexa where the $40 Echo Dot will send anything you can buy on Amazon on the way on command. "Alexa, order a _____________ plant." I did that by the way - it is real. Amazon is on the road to becoming a social menace. Even if Amazon's growth were to be controlled, it is of little value to close the barn door after the eCommerce horse has bolted. We still have to compete on this uneven playing field.

I will forge ahead with supporting independent garden centers and growers. The only way this can happen is with a different business model - one providing consumer access to the broadest selection of plants without the burdens of excessive inventory, which may mean little to no inventory at all. I can't help but have a bias, but as for me and Bower & Branch, we Imagine an eCommerce solution for the resilient - the survivors - the thrivers who will be around to make sure the world is a better place than it certainly would become without us. This is a path to keep the lights on for the brick & mortar garden center so our communities have a go-to solution for a better world - one with more than just boxes and boxes and more boxes. We may become the last surviving garden centers in the world - but we'll also be thriving in our local communities and making our world a better place than it would otherwise become.

For 2017 there is work to do. Get your people fired-up about the purpose for existence of a garden center in their community - their world. This is especially important with younger people - your associates and customers. Let go of your entrenched naysayers whether they be a family member, long-time employee or a vendor.  Clear the way and make it so.

If you'll be at MANTS consider coming early and join me for my presentation of "INSPIRED! - Taking Over Online Before It Overtakes You" in Baltimore at MANTS on Tuesday, January 10 from 9 to Noon. Bring your best people - the ones who want to thrive. We've got some more inspiring to do. We have a great future together! Email me to attend.

Then be sure to help Danny Summers and The Group find the best new products on Wednesday at the show and attend The Group's meeting at 5pm, The Best of MANTS... CLICK HERE to sign up!

Best regards,