You may have noticed over the last few years that the customers that used to garden are now older and less inclined to go gardening as they once did. They are the ones now filling out the coffee shops/restaurant's as this is a friends meeting place and suits their needs. The bigger issue for the long term is that with all this new housing going up the gardens are the size of a postage stamp and the occupiers are less inclined to garden like the older generation once did. So, where does this leave plant sales & associated products? Well I can see a steady decline in plant sales over the next few years as the older generation who no longer garden as they once did now employ a 'gardener' who will possibly buy off a wholesaler not a retailer, so the associated garden products will also see sales suffer. Sales online of say summer bedding may increase as the older generation may find it easier to sit at home and shop, then you have the heavy discounts being offered by the on line bulb merchants who over the last couple of years have got quite aggressive in offering pre-order discounts and then only 6 weeks into the bulb season are offering 50% off in order to clear their stock! When I first got into garden centres in 1989 plant sales were 30-35% of total sales but now I see them at sub 25% and falling. There are many garden centres putting on a grand show but never get the sales to match their efforts, I also know of garden centres that are now described as a great restaurant the sells plants!

A valid question and one that even those with successful Garden Centre restaurants should ask and answer (rhetorically). It's worth doing some in depth research to confirm (or not) that good garden centre restaurant accounts for a significant % of overall revenue, profit and is responsible for attracting a hefty % of all visitors. Taking a holistic view of the business, it doesn't matter if the restaurant customers go on to 'shop in the garden centre'; they have already contributed to the business' financial success. Rightly or wrongly, the consumer perception of a Garden Centre restaurant is that the food offering will be 'local' fresh and to some degree ingredients may be from the centre itself. Made on the premises is another perception. It is thoughts such as these, that make garden centre restaurants such tough competition for the standalone restaurants locally. And rightly so. Retail (especially physical) is now and will be for the foreseeable future, all about the Customer Experience provided. The restaurant is one part of this and as we can all (probably) agree, sharing of food, eating together (especially when it's good) is something that puts us all in a good mood and provides a sense of wellbeing. There are many ways in which to fully connect a Garden centre restaurant with the entire business, ensuring the customers flow in all directions, even if not during the same visit. The dining to shopping to dining, experience and activity, harnessed fully, consistently and well (looking through the eyes of the consumer and not the business) will exponentially improve business success no matter which metric is measured. However, if your retail business doesn't have a large enough footprint to enable you to add 'dining'; then any business connected to gardens(ing) can be greatly enhanced by gaining a thorough understanding of 'why' 'outdoor living' has become SO important to us all, and then building those consumer desires into your retailing activities to give a compelling, engaging and wondrous customer experience.

I own a small scale grower / retailer selling just plants and very little else. My wife talked me into starting coffee & cake some years back. It was a great success for local people who would cycle a few miles then stop for coffee and cake and spend an hour or more sitting chatting. Most of the time people don’t even walk round the plants! With the cost of the equipment to set this up, coffee machine, tables, chairs etc & the time taken to attend to these people it was never going to give a ROI. It's a pet hate of mine when new people turn up at lunch time expecting us to serve a Sunday roast, I politely direct them to a restaurant/pub for that service – After all, the clue is in the name "GARDEN" centre..... We actually have a strong solid returning customer base and many have said they come because we don't have all that stuff

The layout and flow of a garden centre play a crucial role in driving sales and enhancing the overall customer experience. A considered design encourages customers to move naturally through different areas of the garden centre, with the aim of maximising exposure to as many areas as possible. With regard restaurant customers not intentionally shopping, the strategic product placement stimulates impulse purchases, while destination products are placed further in draw customers deeper into the store. Clear defined walkways, engaging displays, and logical dept layout help guide the customer journey. Ultimately, a well-planned layout not only improves flow, but it should create an inspiring shopping environment that increases turnover, even with the restaurant customer.