FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2010

Farwest Show Offers Destination for Retail Garden Centers

Retail garden center operators attending the Farwest Show Aug. 26-28 in Portland, Ore. will now have their very own destination on the show floor. The Garden Center Pavilion, presented by Ball Horticulture, will feature products for the retail gift department.

“The gift shop has become a really strong profit center for retail garden centers because it has the ability to offer high-quality merchandise during the slower months as well as impulse items that compliment the garden during busier times of the year,” show manager Aimee McAuliffe said. “This helps increase the amount of each sale, and ultimately improves the bottom line.

“The Farwest Show offers such an incredible mix of industry segments for attendees. Retail buyers were telling us that having an area that was specifically targeted toward this portion of their business would really create a well-rounded experience, so we created the Garden Center Pavilion just for them.”

The Pavilion may begin with booths featuring an assortment of quality gift vendors, but it won’t end there. It will also offer education and inspiration, in the form of free 20-minute workshops where retailers will learn how to sell more inventory. These workshops will feature two speakers: Bill Calkins and Linda Cahan.

• Bill Calkins is the independent garden center business manager for Ball Horticultural Company. He specializes in spotting the latest trends and creative strategies, as well as product positioning and developing programs for retail garden centers.

Calkins will give two workshops. The first is, “Appealing to a New and Emerging Customer Base.” He will discuss how garden centers can change their marketing to stay relevant with today’s lawn and garden consumer. The session will cover how garden centers can stand out from the crowd with five fresh, new messages that resonate with today’s customer, including the best vocabulary to use in marketing and promotion.

The second workshop is, “Edibles Are Hot: Best Practices for Capitalizing on Veggies and Herbs.” He’ll show attendees how to stake their claim to the grow-your-own veggie and herb market. Stocking flats of tomatoes and peppers in season doesn’t cut it these days – today’s consumer wants more. He’ll provide tips on getting the most from an edibles department and helping customers achieve success in their home gardens.

• Linda Cahan is an expert in visual merchandising, store design and display with nearly four decades of experience. She has designed visual merchandising for traditional department stores, specialty stores of all sizes and types, and large corporations. She will present three workshops.

In “Color Sells,” Cahan will explain how color influences a customer’s mood and buying habits in gift shops, and show ways that the artful use of color spotting will lead customers around a display and around the store.

“Fabulous Focal Areas” will present five ways to develop the focal areas in a gift shop to create more sales and a memorable shopping experience.

“Create Free Displays that Sell” will demonstrate ideas for using existing merchandise as props. This no-cost display technique encourages cross-selling and multiple sales.

In addition to her three workshops, Cahan will be available for a limited number of 45-minute special rate private consultations on design and visual merchandising for individual stores. Those desiring to make an appointment may call the Oregon Association of Nurseries at 503-682-5089.

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The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,200 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is among the state's largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $820 million. More than 75 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information visit www.oan.org or call (503) 682-5089.

For questions or media interviews, contact:

Elizabeth Peters, Director of Communications
Oregon Association of Nurseries
503-682-5089 (main)
503-250-2235 (cel)
epeters@oan.org