ReThink Marketing: Part 3 – Selling More

by Sid Raisch

Last time, I ended with this:

"Next time, I’m going to share with you exactly how to wrap this commitment up and tie it off with a bow—to do something so simple and so critically important. That’s right, it's to SELL MORE of the only thing we measure that really matters to the people who buy it—our products and services."

Need to catch up? Click HERE to read Part 2.
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Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On
Before we get into “selling more”—which means customers are buying more—we need to talk about something else. Because when customers aren’t buying, it means NOTHING is happening. Maybe not all nothing. Some take something. But many take less—or nothing at all.

Where the weather is at least decent and preparation has been made, people are showing up and spending. Why? Because they’re searching for opportunities to live better—and to escape. Escape from what? From the relentless cycle of election noise and social stress. And it won’t stop. Don't expect it to.

But here’s the shift: people aren’t looking to spend. They’re looking to invest.

Let me say that again:
People are looking to INVEST, not buy.

 Get it?
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Invest in What?
They’re investing in:

• Solace
• Escape
• Creation
• Relaxation
• Shared experiences
• Healthy, delicious, homegrown food

Wrap all of that up and call it what it is—Personal Wellness.

This isn’t new. In fact, it’s deeply familiar. Baby Boomers were doing this in their flower-child days. And they’re doing it again—but they’re also aging out. The good news is GenX, Millennials, and GenZ were raised in this vibe. They call it “sustainability”—but it has the same bow wrapped around it.
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We’ve Been Missing the Point
Our industry got comfortable believing “color sells.” And it does. But that’s not what they were buying. They were investing in the benefits—prestige, creativity, expression. That hasn’t changed, but we’ve been distracted by the color and forgotten the deeper reason they’re buying in the first place.

Every upturn or downturn brings people into garden centers for the same underlying reasons. We focus on the product—the petunia, the succulent, the citrus tree—and forget the why. What if our marketing aimed straight at those benefits?
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Two Big Problems IGCs Are Facing
1. Lower Average Transaction

This is tied to two things:

• Not raising prices (enough)
• A shifting customer demographic

As I work with IGCs, I see the population aging right before our eyes. Older customers are buying less. After downsizing or relocating, they might give us a little bump—but then they’re gone. To retirement. To assisted living. To the cemetery.

2. Lower Transaction Count
Weather and the economy may be part of this for some garden centers. But the real issue? The Boomer population is shrinking. GenX didn’t produce enough numbers to replace them. Millennials and GenZ have rebounded—but many don’t even know what an IGC is, let alone where to find one.
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The Invisible Problem
Social media replaced most IGC marketing budgets. But now that the free ride is over and algorithms have turned, exposure is gone. Yet businesses stay in denial, watching post engagement fall to nearly zero.

This is the invisible deficit. You can’t see it not happening. But it isn’t. When people don’t show up—because they weren’t reached—well, that’s invisible too. And the most dangerous problems are invisible ones.

You’re probably going to ignore this. Unless you go back, read it again, think deeply—and act.
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From Spending to Investing
Nobody wants to spend more on marketing. But does anyone want to INVEST in more customers?

If you could, you would. And you can, if you know where and how much. But will you?

Doubling down on social posts is hamster-wheel marketing—spinning faster and longer, hoping for sunshine or an end to tariffs. That’s wishful thinking, not a plan. The new game is being seen, especially by GenX, Millennials, and GenZ. If you’re still replaying that old song, “But my money comes from boomers because they have the money”, look at how that’s not working for you anymore.

But what are the rules? Where’s the playing field? How do you get on the winning team?
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The Pressure is On
Let’s get to the point. This is the last part of the ReThink Marketing series. I hope you’ve actually been re-thinking your marketing—not just reading about it.

Now I’m asking you to think of something very specific. It’s going to challenge your beliefs. Here it is:

Marketing the way we’ve always done it isn’t wrong. It’s just not right enough.

Halfway right doesn’t cut it. Not anymore.

Your business future depends on marketing that works—because it does. More than you’re comfortable admitting. More than you want to hear from me. I get it, but it’s my job to tell you stuff you don’t want to hear but need to.

You’ve seen the WDR and P&L trends. You know where this is headed. This won’t fix itself.

Yes, shelve this until after peak weeks—but come back to it. STUDY IT. There will be a test. It’s called your next P&L.

It won’t happen to you—it will happen because of you. By what you did—or what you ignored.

The buck stops with you.
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Answer the Real Question
Every customer who walks in—online or in-store—is asking:
“What do they expect me to buy?”

You have a store. Stores are for buying. If it’s not obvious that you want them to buy something (preferably more than one thing), that’s a problem.
Think about online carts. Nothing gets added after the first item unless there is a first item. And we only add that first item when something connects emotionally—when it fulfills a need or desire.

That’s what we’re really investing in: benefits. The solution to our emotional deficits.
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Be Seen—Where It Counts
Brand building happens today where people actually see your brand—online.

If you're not visible, you're invisible. And you’re invisible far more often than you think. Especially to current and past customers.

Repeat after me:
A business can’t grow until it first replaces lost customers.

Growth doesn’t begin until replacement does.
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It’s Not Online vs In-Store
You don’t have one store. You have two. And they must support each other.

When the holidays roll around, take a survey at your next family gathering. Ask:

• Who bought gifts online?
• Who bought theirs in a store?
• Who had the gift shipped to them or the recipient?
• Who used digital delivery (like gift cards)?

Reality check. That’s how people shop now. It’s where new customers will find your store first. It’s where returning customers will be prompted to come back. And you need to adapt accordingly.
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It’s Time to Get Real
This is about building real relationships—by being visible, accessible, and relevant. It’s about selling enough to close the Boomer gap with GenX, Millennials, and GenZ so your business stays alive and grows.

Get specific. Focus on the product—the thing they will buy or never even know about. Tell the story. Connect the brand to the product and to the benefit the buyer is really after. Visibility + Frequency + Relevance = Marketing that Works.
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Final Word
People aren’t tuning in like they used to. Your window is short. Your chance is now. There is much to be done to make 2026 begin a growth trend.

More than half of us are reading this on a phone. The others are mostly tired Boomers.

Marketing is not just social media. It’s not just advertising.

Marketing is communication—with the right people, in the right language, with the right call to action.

The Marketplace Mantra:

“It is the marketer’s responsibility to communicate to our marketplace information to make them want to buy.”

That’s why this isn’t spending on marketing—it’s investing. Your results will depend on how, how much, and where you invest.
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What’s Next?

This is the end of the ReThink Marketing series. Reading it won’t solve your problems. But actually rethinking your marketing will put you in the right position to Re-DO Your Marketing.

And when you're ready to do that—call me.

When you’re ready to up your marketing game, get in touch. Your membership in The Garden Center Group entitles you to a courtesy videoconference call to discuss your situation. Get in touch by Text or Cell at 937-302-0423, or email (below) Or...

Click HERE to Schedule a Time to Talk With Sid.

Sid Raisch is an advocate for family business leading growth, change, and results throughout US horticulture. Redefining the business future for consumer horticulture by understanding how the end-to-end supply chain needs to be redirected is a skill Sid has honed into an art. He has understanding and insight through inquisitive observations and extensive experience and has served as a trusted advisor helping transform both national and local businesses into more profitable and sustainable businesses. Developing national and international educational programs that create change in culture, community and company provides Sid venues with a front row seat creating effective and innovative business models.

Sid is a Certified Value Builder System Advisor, and currently serves as Chief Strategist and the Swiss Army Knife of Consultants to The Garden Center Group clients. Contact Sid at [email protected] or call or text  937-302-0423.

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