Nov 20, 2017
On this episode of Pond Marketing Secrets, Laura chats with Jodi Decker of, Decker's Landscape and Aquatics. Listen in, as they discuss how Jodi got into running a garden center and retail pond space, the benefits of having a retail space, and valuable advice for starting your own design and retail space!
Tip of the Week: Start thinking about what you want to give your customers for the holidays.
Pond Marketing Group Action - What Laura Did This Week: Starting planning out the 2018 goals for Aquareale with the intention of having them completed by December.
Garden and Design Centers:
Jodi and her husband got into the garden center business because the house they bought came with one on the property. So as they worked on the property they opened up the garden center for business and it all took off from there! As they changed their main business to focus more on water features as a niche in the industry, they opened up a retail shop / design center for water feature owners to have a place to grab supplies. This was back in the day before online retailers were available, and something that Jodi noticed was lacking in the community was a place for these water feature / pond owners to pick up necessary supplies. Talk about a great way of seeing a need that their clients had and fulfilling it! They now have the small garden center and 2 pond retail stores / design centers to service the community!
Retail:
The one thing with having that retail space is that you absolutely have to focus on customer service. With online retailers, just about anything can be bought online now, but having quality customer service and quality products in your store sets you apart from the rest. You also are able to show customers and potential clients that you are an expert in this industry, giving them peace of mind when making purchases for their own ponds/water features. Yes, having a local space will give you the ability to serve people in your community who need pond supplies in a pinch, but if they don’t have a great experience in your store then you’ve lost them not only as a retail customer but potentially as a future contractor client as well. Set yourself apart by really taking the time to build those client relationships with people who walk through the door and share in the passion of the industry, because that is how you’ll get them to buy from you. Not only just supplies, but when they’re ready for a new water feature or to update an existing one.
Jodi’s Advice:
-Focus on the design center concept of a retail space. Don’t just offer the items and pieces that people need to maintain their water features. If you also set up the retail space to function as a design center / mini showroom you’ll be able to have a beautiful meeting space for potential customers who are looking to make the commitment in having a pond / water feature installed.
-When creating the space and shop, remember that one of the biggest benefits of having a store front is from the pond work that it will bring in rather than only focusing the profits from the retail side of it.
-Your main focus has got to be on providing a great customer experience, because that’s the one thing that they can’t get by ordering parts somewhere else.
-Find and partner with a distributor, that’s a huge resource for you.
Let Laura help your company achieve marketing goals and stay top of mind with your customers! For a full list of services offered through Pondtent, visit Pond Marketing Group today!
Podcast Editing and Show Notes via Podcast Buddy