Find the Perfect Planter
Visual merchandising. While you might not know what it means by definition, you’ve certainly been influenced by it. Retailers, big-box stores and even restaurants have a firm understanding of what visual merchandising is, and its potential as a “silent salesperson” with customers. In short, visual merchandising combines some basic marketing principles, industry trends, product knowledge…
Read MoreSocial media was originally created as a communications platform for teenagers and college students interested in easily updating their friends throughout the day. To give you a timeline, Facebook was launched back on February 4, 2004 (14 years ago if you can believe that!). Fast forward to the year 2018, and a great deal has…
Read MoreOver the last few decades, climate change has been the subject of great debate amongst Americans. From politicians and big-businesses, to environmentalists and every-day citizens. It seems we’re all concerned, or at least well-aware, of the possible impacts climate change can have on the future of our great nation. Climate change is not a new…
Read MoreThe week of June 18-24 is National Pollinator Week. The week is proudly sponsored by the Pollinator Partnership, whose mission is to promote the health of pollinators critical to food and ecosystems across the globe. Many don’t realize that pollinators provide pollination to over 180,000 plant species and more that 1,200 crops. That translates to one…
Read MoreIn February 2018, retail giant Amazon surprised many industries – most notably the horticulture industry – when it officially launched the Amazon Plant Store – also called your new “online greenhouse”. There you can purchase plants in a multitude of categories and in various pot sizes to suit your needs from flowering plants, to shrubs, to succulents.…
Read MoreIn last month’s edition of The HC Companies e-newsletter, we discussed visual merchandising and how garden centers should leverage this tried-and-true retail technique to deliberately present their inventory to increase sales. One of the core principles of visual merchandising is recognizing that many consumers are undecided about what they’ll purchase when entering your store. That provides you with an…
Read MoreSpring has been here for almost two months, and yet in many parts of the country spring is just arriving now. As the weather becomes more seasonal, we’re all eager to head outside to see what’s blooming. Unfortunately, it’s been a slow process for flowers, shrubs and trees this year as many still look dead and…
Read MoreWhen growers purchase their horticulture containers directly from The HC Companies or their local, trusted distributor, they often consider what will happen to the container after falling into the hands of homeowners and landscapers. Sadly, many will simply toss them into the garbage or just leave them sitting in the garage or under the deck for an…
Read MoreAs younger generations enter the workforce, they’re apt to look for organizations that are dynamic, with unique personalities providing real-time feedback. Many will apply to state-of-the-art technology organizations, which tend to adopt many of the same standards younger generations crave, leaving tried-and-true fields scrambling for new talent. One of those fields is horticulture – the…
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