Q&A with Ian

Why go to England when GCs are so much improved in this country?

Ian: This tour began in 1994 as a whim, prompted by clients who said "You're always talking about Britain's garden centers, why don't you take us there?"

Over the years, the reasons for going have changed. Early on it was mostly supported by owners who saw it as a reward for working hard and long in their businesses. Then word got around that there was much to see and learn that can be applied on this side of the Atlantic.

Now I would say that there are two main paybacks from joining the tour.

1. The big picture. As many readers know, the British spend what seem large amounts of money building retail garden stores which are in-effect, indoor and outdoor-living destination stores. Because planning laws are strict in the UK, owners invest more time and money on the process than North American owners have done up until recently. The UK operators are further down the path of changing the conventional garden center into a wide ranging, multi departmental retail facility. If you want to see how progressive stores will look in the USA and what they will be selling, the UK is the place to go, even compared to the rest of Europe. The gardening hobby was always strongest in the UK and "lifestyle gardening" is still strongest there too.

2. Retail detail. Compared to North America, the 'service' culture in the UK (and most of the world) is weak, whether you are buying a newspaper or a Jaguar. Neither right nor wrong, that's just the way it is. Don't expect hand-holding sales techniques anywhere. But silent selling has become a competitive, differentiator between UK centers and that is a powerful thing to see. The British have invested heavily in traffic flow planning, lighting, flooring, upscale benches, fixtures, signage and merchandising, to enable sales to be made without a word being said to the customer. This is an area where most American stores are still weak and the nine centers we visit in three days will give attendees a huge list of affordable ideas to implement in their own stores. Together with the superb merchandising at Glee and the networking on the bus, this gives a triple advantage over their competitors who stayed home.

Why go to Glee when the dollar is so weak?

Ian: While it would be nice to have a stronger dollar, every year attendees seem to buy more than expected. For some reason many exhibitors at Glee can quote cheaper rates in the UK on for example, pottery from Asia, than is quoted at USA shows. Plus the range of products offered is so much wider, even from companies who also show in the US, that many attendees can justify a higher price because it is unique to their marketplace in the US. We had a company on the tour who were doing under $1 million in sales volume, bought $30,000 of products, paid $6000 to get it back to their own center, made a big sales event of the "unique" products discovered in Europe and sold out at a higher than average margin within weeks of the container arriving. It is still very do-able, and using our connections to vendors and shippers makes it so much easier. Glee on your own can be challenging, but we lead people around, meet with vendors, shippers and generally hand hold tourers around the show, which I have been going to since the early 1980s.

However, even if you are not ready to buy, the show itself is so productive. The difference is that in the US the displays are more like a catalogue of what they carry, but at Glee most exhibitors show how to display their product in your store, so attendees walk down aisle after inspiring aisle of merchandising WOW. Booths are bigger and vendors spend lavishly on lighting, signage, props and style, again giving so many take-home ideas. More than one attendee has told us "Although I wasn't ready to buy, the merchandising ideas at the Glee show alone paid for the trip".

This is primarily a business tour?

Ian: Absolutely. We put together an intensive tour manual containing everyone's business "numbers" from parking spaces and square footage to Gross Margin and Sales per Employee. We also have similar numbers from the English Garden Centers we visit. That way we get great networking and a focus on business success, not just nice displays. But we also see some beautiful villages and countryside as well as a fun end to the tour at the amazing Coombe Abbey Hotel.

Who should go?

Ian: Anyone planning an expansion, remodel or upgrade.
       Anyone looking for trends and changes in the industry.
       Everyone looking to trade labor dollars for silent selling ideas.
       Anyone looking for unique or differentiating products in their marketplace.
       Anyone who wants to network with other progressive retailers for 6 days.

Previous tourers read like a Who's Who in the garden center and supporting industry. In 2007 we had 4 winners of Innovation awards out of the 45 present. It is the good getting better, staying ahead, big and small. We have had some doing $200,000 a year and some doing $30+ Million a year. Some people like Jim and Jane Crowell from Atlantic GCs in Virginia Beach go every other year. Matt Horn has been 6 times. Some people calendar it every 3-4 years, irrespective of weather or what kind of year they are having. For those who 'get it' this tour can change thinking or confirm directions or just simply get some great ideas and networking over the six days we are together. Spread the cost over a few years, save some expenses or reduce inventory as a result and the investment seems small to these people.

To quote Jim Crowell from Atlantic GCs:

"For owners who have never been or are thinking about going to England, this tour will motivate you to improve your store and it will also completely change your approach to how you operate a garden center,"

To quote Angelo Petitti from Petitti's in Ohio "The best thing an owner can do is to go on Ian's tour. It made me see the future; we turned our business around and never looked back since we toured there"

When do we need to decide?

Ian: As soon as possible. We have sold out (45 people) every year since 1994 and we are usually full by July.