I'm a little confused how your subject line relates to the content of the post. How are you wanting to compete with HD? With displays? Should be a no-brainer......they really don't offer any. With fixtures? I doubt HD offers much in the way of significant competition in that regard. Just make sure your tables are in good repair, well signed, neatly arranged and full and any color YOU like that accents what you are selling.

In most parts of western Washington, I've yet to see a HD that can compete with any independent worth their salt regarding plant selection and quality, so that can't be an issue. Did you have something else in mind?

I have never posted on this forum before; I am a garden consultant and writer. I hope it's okay. I have just returned from a visit to several upscale nurseries in the L.A. area and saw a lot of chartreuse and black used as display backdrop colors. Everything looked good against it. As a jaded plant shopper, I can tell you that we plant nuts get excited over abundance and funky displays. The best way to bore us is to have endless tables of similar looking things (like Home Depot). The most exciting place I went to in L.A. (I saw it from the car and screamed at my husband to stop) was a place that had heaps of plants, art pottery, cool rocks, mossy things and books all crammed together on a collection of tables that were displayed at varying heights and stacked atop one another. I couldn't wait to see what I might 'find'.

Both posts were more than I expected. Thank you! It is difficult being a nursery owner and any advice is appreciated.

muddydogs, it is important to know who your customer base is. While I think the combination of black and chartreuse is quite stunning (and have used it both in in-ground and container designs), it may be a bit avant garde for some areas. I have worked at both a very urban, in-city nursery as well as a more suburban garden center and the demographics for both were very distinct and very different. The black/chartreuse would work in the urban setting but turn off my suburban customers as being a bit too outre. If this is more your setting, I might consider colors that were a bit more mainstream, trying something more adventurous in small doses first to see how well it flies.

Put yourself in the role of customer. It shouldn't be difficult. You have been a customer before, haven't you?

When I shop at Home Depot it's not because of any colorful displays. I like to think I'm at least a little bit more intelligent than a fish. I don't fall so easily for shiny objects.

When I go to Home Depot it's because I already know what I'm looking for, and I didn't find it cheaper somewhere else. Had I seen you across the street selling that plant I was looking for at a lower price I wouldn't have hesitated to buy from you instead of Home Depot.

I don't care how much stuff Home Depot has. I don't care how they arrange and display it. I don't care how much they spend on TV and newspaper advertising. All I care about is getting the plant I'm looking for at the best possible price.

If you can grow a healthy plant and offer a lower price than Home Depot, you've already got them beat.

That is what America is thinking. But my plants are better and my prices are lower. Go figure.

I agree with you Muddydogs. Boxes have enough moolah to have convinced most customers they do offer cheaper. Is not always so. I have found independants with lower prices, better quality more than a few times. But, they do not own sales locations in the hubs of major shopping malls. One has to actually drive to get to them. I have had prices lower than Xmart on more than a few items, especially potted ornamentals. Bowls of common annuals sold at the marts last year for ten and twelve dollars up. Not proven winners, but seed growns. However, I cannot compete on most woody stock, nor will I compete on marked down perennials when they give them away at the end of the season. But people still "think" the marts are cheaper.

I saw 1 gallon (let's not get into the gallon measurement issue!) nursery-grown containers of lavender and ornamental pussywillow (S. caprea "pendula") at Trader Joe's - a specialty grocery store chain - for cheaper than Home Despot. The willow was $19.99 at the Big Box, and $11.99 at Joe's.

My guess is the grocery people probably figure it's an impulse buy for shoppers ordinarily picking up gazpacho and organic pasta. They have to price it cheaply enough encourage the impulse.

Trader Joes could also be buying from an independent with a end of season buy back option to the sale. You never know.

Certainly possible. Looks like they're getting them from the same sources as Home Depot.

There was an artical in GNP magazine awile back that had a picture of a HD garden center on the cover. To tell you the truth it look darn good. There's one thing Lowes and HD do very well, listen to the folks. They could be listening now....

Home Depot has vanilla.
What do you offer and why should someone visit your nursery?

The only way you will be successful competing with corporate stores is to specialize. Now is the time to decide what your customers want, not what you want to sell. In your area whats hot? Orchids, drought tolerant plants, exotic perinneals (sp), water gardens, fragrant gardens, veggi gardens, bulbs? Decide on your specialty sections and advertise that you have them, add to them, be an expert on them. Develop a Christmas section, keep a tree up year round with only garden oriented ornaments: birds, animals, bugs. People buy Christmas items year round. Everyone and their dog will be selling petunias, tomatoes, and pines. Make it fun for plant junkies to stop by just to see what is new.

I have been a country greenhouse for almost 20 yr. I have never paid any attention to any other greenhouse or big box (except when wally got proven winners)But that was just a vent. If you always have some new varieties and some imagination and most of all QUALITY the other places will never concern you. All I can say it works for me and I don't have day job. Listen to mymimi43 a true plant junkie. Have wonderful day ----Upnortdareh

BigMart has a such a limited selection that finding what is wanted there for a lower price than the independent garden center must not happen very often unless someone's not looking for much. If enough people are landscaping their yards at BigMart for this pattern to be wiping out nearby retail nurseries, then a big segment of the market really must not be aware of/interested in the full range of planting possibilities at all.

Out here at least Joe's buys below grade orchids from a huge operation in California. That's why they are cheaper, they are sort of like culls--the clump is too small or there aren't enough buds in the spike, something like that. Maybe their other plant offerings have a similar history.

"How to compete with home depot"

... as my next door neighbor in Idaho used to say from time to time:

"Why would a person want to do that?"

I used to laugh to myself whenever he would say that, usually when I was relating some story from "back east". But, after a while it made more and more sense.

As a live goods buyer that works at Home Depot,I say cultivate your employees! Have knowledgeable help at your nursery.
I'm usually the only one at my store that knows anything about plants, and if I wanted to I could spend half my shift answering phone calls from customers about plants or special ordering for them. I know it gets frustrating for customers when I'm not there, they tell me loud and clear!
And just for the record I try and buy as many unusual plants that I can, but I get in a little bit of trouble though. Since it doesn't have a 'home' on the table Managers don't like it,nor do the regular stock vendors. Too bad ;p

Our Home Depots here are merchandised by a large supplier. They use a medium purple in their displays and it sets off the plants nicely.

But a display just gets people in the door. How to compete with HD is a much bigger issue. You either offer standard plants at cheaper prices (probably almost impossible), or you offer unusual or higher quality plants and hope you have a sophisticated and wealthy enough clientele to support that.

Watergal---- The last line on your response is what you are looking for.HIGH QUALITY,some imagination and cutting edge varieties will get that crowd to your location. works for me ----Upnortdareh

My favorite nursery competes with Home Depot by offering exceptional service. Every single employee goes out of their way to help. The displays are pristine, there's not a dead leaf anywhere. They have many examples of container gardening that you can purchase or use as inspiration. They automatically bring your purchases to your car the minute you purchase them.

Some things are more expensive at my favorite nursery, some are cheaper. I shop there because quality and service are important to me.

What makes people who sell plants think that Home Depot is a competitor, because they also sell plants?

Yes, Home Depot is a competitor, but not the lawn and garden department.

Home Depot is much more of a threat when the building materials, kitchens, baths and cabinets are considered.

By and large, I'm glad Home Depot sells plants...it gives people I really don't want to sell to a place to shop.

This indiustry will not take it's proper place upon the economic ladder until the people in this business truly understand exactly who their competion is. It's not the greenhouse down the road, the big box store across town, the landscaper in the next village...it's fishing, camping, travel, high end electronics systems.

We quest after disposable income, ie, that money that is left when the bills are paid and the things necessary to a minimum standard of life are purchased. Most markets I am familiar with, there is a greenhouse that does a great job with baskets, one that is higher priced but has a fabulous warranty policy, one that has all the weird stuff you can't find anywhere else, everyone has their niche, and all think everyone else is encroaching, the mass merchandisers most of all.

Which makes the mass merchandisers happy. It should make you consider what it is you are seeking towards.

Consider for a moment, if we may, car dealerships and restaurants. In most places I have been, there is a place, perhaps more than one where car dealerships cluster up and down the street. And everyplace I have been has a location that could be referred to as restaurant row. Competition can be, should be healthy. It makes people think you have soemthing to hide when you eschew competition. Everyone place of business has somethign a little different to offer...perhaps it's quality of product, level of customer service, depth of selection. What is it you do really well? Focus on that, that's why people come to you.

Let the mass merchandisers get the grouches that are willing to drive forty miles to save three cents. Do you really want their business anyway?

That is exactly right. And that is why I quoted my neighbor from when I lived in Idaho.

Compete with Home Depot:

"why would a person want to do that?"

Competition is not all who sell the same products that you sell. It is only those who sell to the people who you would otherwise be selling to. And competition is a two way street. You have to be able to sell to those who they are selling to, if you are in fact competition. If you are not able to sell to anyone unless there is no one else selling the product, you are not a competitor, but only exist as the only show in town.

I'm so frustated. Got really good plants. Am scared. I've got superb plants low prices easy hwy access. To get to Home Depot you gotta fight traffic. What the heck am I supposed to do. Go to work for them?

Is this the first growing season that they have been open? What are the reasons you think that they might be able to erode your customers? Or are you just assuming that another competitor will take another piece of the pie? (That is a reasonable concern IMHO)

Hope you don't mind my 2 cents. I am not a professional, just an avid gardener who spends more than she should annually on plants and shrubs. When shopping for plants, I usually try Home Depot or Lowes first,where I can find some of the more common annuals and perennials I'm looking for at an inexpensive price. Occasionally I'll even find a more unsual item I've been wanting to try and don't mind experimenting if the price is right. I don't expect help or advice at Home Depot. But that's just the beginning, because the selection at the Big Box stores is so limited. Next I hit a farmer's market type of store for their large selection of annuals. I can usually find what I'm looking for and if not, the owner will get it for me. The owner is friendly and knowledgable so I'm willing to pay what I think are high prices at this establishment. Next is a large beautiful independent nursery where I can pick up most perennials from my wish list. The plants are large and in good health and the prices reflect that. However, the staff is miserable and talks down to everyone assuming that we all are plant idiots. Finally, there are several smaller independent nurseries that I visit periodically searching for shrubs at a reasonable price. May I suggest you do not try to compete with Home Depot? If you are only offering the same type of plants they sell you will not win. Make your establishment a destination, not only for buying plants but to enjoy the gardening experience. Give people ideas. For example, if you sell annuals, have lots of display combination planters that people will want to copy. If you are too small for display gardens, hang enlarged photos of actual gardens that will illustrate how to incorporate perennials into a garden. Finally. may I suggest you advertise and advertise heavily? I'm always looking for new places to shop but I have to know you exist.

Dbjc has jogged my memory.

My father was a European educated plant person who managed a garden center in his later years. The philosophy was to be helpful, give lots of advice and ideas specific to the customer's situation no matter how big or small the sale was to be. The result was a strong following that came back again and again. They talked to friends who would them come as well. Sales were caused by interest and excitement generated. This was in Lexington, MA which was very heavy in garden centers at the time.

We could have opened our own liquor store at Christmas time from all the gifts he would get.

He worked only on Tuesday as he pretty well retired. There was a big difference in business on Tuesdays during that time simply because people knew when he worked.

A very good sense of humor and a very engaging personality had a lot to do with it too. Don't overlook the fact that people also need to like you, not just the information and plants that you offer.

I think you could get new customers by giving custom professional advise on do it yourself landscaping and gardening. A lot of people out there can afford to have it done professionally and it would add service to your business.

Interesting discussion -

I liked the post by dbjc and hepticodium. They're right on.

The bix boxes are clueless; they don't take care of their plants, their staff is non-existant and or uneducated. Strange because in hardware they have good people all other the place asking if they can help me, but in the garden center forget it. They have a limited selection of plant and they are horible at creating displays.

As an independent look at really good retailers in other products as your standard to follow: i.e. Nordstrums or Cabelas. Create a fun place to shop with cool displays and ideas. Offer the best products available - even it they are in the box stores, but offer a wide range and keep up the quality. Keep it clean. Trash the dead plants, remove dead leaves.

The local home depot was selling deakd plants for 50% off. DON"T DO THIS.

Offer a fantastic guarantee and post it everywhere. I wonce saw a woman buying dead roses for half off at Lowes. I told here they were dead but she still bought them, stating they were guaranteed. Learn from this.

Dreate bold destinations based on color. Create display gardens and containers manikins. SEll the manikins for a hight price and put the #3 gal plants around the bench to sell the dream.

Thant's what we are selling - dreams and the potential.

Offer larger sizes. skip the cheater one gallons.

Get over the idea of deiplaying in alphabetical order, unless you are targeting plant nerds. Create destinations like POLO, or TOMMY HILFINGER does at Nordstrums. They wound never think of mizing their polo shirts in amongst the Lands End. Why do garden centers do this.

Embrace HD and Lowes etc. The do tones of promotion to gardeners and potential gardeners and it's good for our business.

Exploit their weaknesses: Selection, cutomer service, Displays and quality.

Be bold and look for the best selling new plants and make a display and push them. New plants offer the potential for higher prices.

Look at endless summer. The first year of introduction the indys were timid. Complained they were in the box stores. Well those that stocked them sodl them at very good prices dispite being in the box stores. The same is true for other nationally promoted brands - take advantage of the free marketing. Get the new varietes in the first three years and push them hard before the box stores pick them up. There is often 1-3 years you can have exclusivity. Back off on the varieties after three years.

Rstock your best selling plants. This is big weakness of box stores. Monitor new and hot selling varieties and restock. Box stores are very good about tracking sales and inventory but very bad about using the data to restcok.

Keep your garden center stocked with good looking product. Box stores look tired after the first of June and miss a lot of potential sales.

Offer useful programs: Pruning, new plants and trends, etc.

Get to know yor best customers. Get their contact info. Use punch cards. Take the time to learn their names etc.

Do regular e-mail newletter that is helpful. offer incentives to get them back in the store.

People want to shop at their local garden center but unfortunatly we have not alwasy done a good job of making our stores fun, friendly, inspirational, etc.

Don't try to compete on price. Sure a few lost leaders are fine but wal-mark has the best price because they sell trashy products - b-grade quality. Don't go there, but rather concentrate on being a premium supplier and destination.

Some of these ideas seem unconventional at first, but I have always used them and agree that they work.

The ones I like best are letting the competition advertise for you. Let them fill the newspapers with pictures of new varieties for weeks. Alls you gotta do then is let people know you HAVE them.

Restocking best sellers is the other area. I've been in the nursery business for two decades now, with a large independent, with my own smaller operation and two years ago, I did a stint at a home improvement box. Most managers don't really have a lot of say as to what gets ordered. That comes for somebody halfway across the country. There are usually social and cultural differences that they don't order what might be good sellers in market to which they send stock. Just because it flies in L.A. or NYC doesn't make it fly in corn country. By the time the inventories get back to square one, they may or may not restock. Plants are one item where you really need to keep your finger on the pulse of the market and it doesn't happen at the box. And at the local levels they don't seem to care, because they may have lost some sales, but the losses mostly hit their vendors who don't get paid until the product sells.