Revitalize Your IGC with a Store-Within-A-Store Renovation

Success Story

East Coast Garden Center has been an industry leader for decades, honored among the “Revolutionary 100” and winning accolades for landscaping services from industry groups and consumer publications in Delaware. When they expressed interest in a Proven Winners Store-Within-A-Store, the Proven Winners team went to work.

East Coast Garden Center’s first foray into a Proven Winners Store-Within-A-Store was in their shrub department in 2018. Known for their variety and quality of shrubs, they wanted to experiment with a departure from the traditional on-the-ground, row-upon-row presentation. With the help of the Store-Within-A-Store team, father and son owner/management team Rick and Chris Cordrey designated a 35’ x 35’ space to be fixtured and
signed as the new department. Judy Sharpton of Growing Places Marketing worked with both the Store-Within-A-Store team and long-time client East Coast, to assure visibility for the new department and position benches and signage to make the department unique and shoppable. With the help of the East Coast growing operation and representatives from Spring Meadow Nursery, the team selected a manageable initial shrub offering that would span the spring season.

Another objective for East Coast for 2018 was to establish
a consistent signage program throughout the store.
They had designated a signage specification of 24” x 36” chloroplast and designed a sign holder that could be used both
on the ground and on tables. The SWAS team coordinated
Proven Winners signage to their specifications, enhancing the uniformity of the presentation.

All of this organization required only two on-site meetings
supported by e-mail conversations.

Results:

• 17% of all shrubs sold in the 2018 season were Proven Winners at higher price points and
  better margins than traditional shrub offerings.
  
  
• 107% increase in sales of Proven Winners shrubs YOY.
  
  
• For 2019, East Coast is revamping it’s entire shrub department and expanding the Proven
  Winners Store-Within-A-Store for shrubs and annuals.

According to Chris Cordrey “Our SWAS project with Proven Winners was a major success last year on many levels. After designing our SWAS, we have a whole new outlook of how we display plant material and utilize POP. We received some push back from our growers and sales staff about our ability to charge a premium price for our Proven Winners annuals and shrubs. However, our customers recognized the brand and added benefits and were willing to
pay a premium price without any pushback. This has allowed us to increase our margins.

In 2019, we plan to expand our SWAS area in the garden center and provide our customers with additional varieties of Proven Winners. We have created an event in early Spring call The Proven Winners Party to further promote our SWAS and the Proven Winners Brand.”