The Group Winter Tour - Are You Ready?

by Danny Summers

Are you ready for a Winter Tour of The Group's Garden Centers?

Does this get your attention? I hope so. The Garden Center Group's Winter Tour is very convenient. It can begin on that first cold winter day when you have plenty of time and a hot cup of coffee or tea. It will be time to explore dozen's of fellow Group Centers you have never seen or maybe haven't seen in years.

You can travel on your own schedule. Begin, then decide where to visit and pause when needed. At each stop as you see things you like or want to know more about, you can take a minute and send that Center a quick email.

In the recent weeks we have added something into our Group WebSystem that long-time Group member Miles Hunter, (Hunter's Garden Centre of Vancouver and Surrey, BC) suggested a year or so ago. Miles said, "Wouldn't it be great if we had a link to each Group Center's Google Map to quickly see their location, both Satellite and Street Views along with various photos shared there by both the Center and customers." While Miles was suggesting this as a new link in the Weekly Department Review, we thought is fits better as part of our WebSystem. Here are a few examples and how easy it will be for your travel planning...

1. Log into The Group WebSystem.
2. At your landing page, select either the first two Client Directory link options (Client Directory A-Z by Company or Client Directory Search). When your search results appear, you will see each Group Center's basic profile and new link Map Location.

Following the Map Location link, your web browser will open a new page or tab and take you directly to the Center's Google Map page and contents. Here's a few examples... (1) Fairview Greenhouses, Raleigh, NC, (2) Rolling Green Nursery, Greenland, NH, and (3) Sunnypoint Gardens, Egg Harbor, WI.

Searches, Quick Finds and Filtering: Both of the Client Directory pages I mentioned above work similarly but the second one (Client Directory Search) provides you with a great deal of control and options for finds and filtering to plan your visits. For instance... What if you just want to see the BEST of The BEST or BEST PRACTICES AWARD-Winning Centers? That's easy. Scroll down and select that option and hit the SEARCH button at the bottom of the page. All three Centers above were some of the Best of the Best Award winners in 2020.

There's so much to explore here and, of course, while seeing a location it is just as easy to explore their website with a few additional clicks. When you see something you want to ask about, simply move back to the previous tab or window into The Group's WebSystem to see the Center's email address. Or you might even connect the old fashion way... just call them!

As a Client (aka, member) of The Garden Center Group, you have access to a world of ideas and inspiration from peer Centers all willing to share. Anytime you are ready to do a Group Tour, especially on some of this winter's coldest (and slowest) days, grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and just login to The Group's WebSystem to begin. And don't forget to take some of your team along for the ride!

Lastly, a special THANK YOU to Miles Hunter for the idea of adding the map links! If you have any new ideas on how we can share more and learn more from each other, please let me know.

Happy Touring!