The 2007 Destination Contest is over. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Division A (10 Employees or less)
Let me begin by telling you that we have sold your plants since we began in 2000. They sell. They sell better than the others. So it was very hard for us, being a small garden store, to invest $320 to buy the POP material. That was enough money to buy a cart. We needed a new cart. They say a new cart can pay for itself in one week-end. So it came down to a new cart or the POP material.
I called Sandy Wentworth late on Tuesday afternoon on May 1st. I wanted the material by Friday. Yeah I know that is a lot to ask but hey, if she couldn't get it to me by Friday I would get the cart. Sandy said she would see what she could do. Part of me was hoping she wouldn't come thru. We only have 5 carts and 2 need new tires. You have to drag one of the carts to get it to move. I really wanted a new cart. Sandy emailed me Wednesday morning and told me I would have the material Friday. Oh well, guess I am not getting a new cart.
Friday afternoon it arrived. To be honest I was a little excited when the stuff came. I really liked the bench cards. They should help with customers who don't know much about the plants. The recipe booklets were great also. I was beginning to forget about the cart. I couldn't wait to get the bench tape up and hang the recipe posters and see if it was the better purchase.
Saturday I helped 3 customers find the plants in the "Leafy Look" container. I'm doing the math. That is six 4" plants per pot. Two customers needed double to do 2 pots. That is 30 plants at $4.99 a pot. Not bad. The package was working. I decided to place all the plants in the combos together with the poster. Whoa! They were flying off the shelf. I was really excited about the turn over all because of the recipe combos along with the plant identification. The package had paid for itself before the weekend was over!!!
We have spent more on Proven Winners material this Spring than we ever have. We never could have afforded to bring Four Star Greenhouses to Cincinnati (shipping and gas prices are high) before we started your program. Now, we can't afford to not bring them in. We have other Proven Winners plants from local growers that do not use the Proven Winners pots. Their pots were the last to go. The branded pots really do sell first! The customers are looking for the PW pot! It was so helpful that the bench cards explained everything. I noticed people really reading them! The true test for me was that people really walked around with the recipe booklets and purchased plants in combinations. It was so easy for the customers to find because all the PW plants were in one spot. I had a lady 2 days ago tell me how proud she was of her window boxes. She said they were never anything great, but this year she has received so many compliments. She said her friends are now coming to her garden advise. Makes you feel good doesn't it!
We had the best May we have ever had. I know that garden stores around the country experienced great Mays, but let me add something. We have a street widening going on in front of our store. We have 2 lanes of traffic. It used to be 4. The car count has been cut in half. One of our entrances is completely blocked off. Yet we have still managed to have the best spring ever! I can honestly say that part of our success this spring was due to the Proven Winner plants and POP. People felt confident about what they were buying because they had knowledge about the plants from the material. Great plants and customer service is what sets us apart from the big box stores. Your program does both.
In closing I would like to thank you for putting together a beautiful package. You truly have embraced the mom and pop stores and have guided us in so many ways. Your plants are unmatched in quality and beauty. Coupled with the POP material there is no competition.
Sincerely,
Traci and Chris Shinkle
Jack 7, empty tray gather when he isn't throwing a baseball on the storage shed, future pro-ball player
Mick 5, empty tray gather, herb specialist and pot designer, he will have his own garden show!
Summer 1, sprays customers with the hose (that's her in picture #5 saying Proven Winners is #1)
PS....I GOT 3 NEW CARTS....BIG THANKS TO THE PROGRAM FOR THAT ONE!!!
Division B (11-25 Employees)
During the winter months we thought up ways of making our Proven Winners area bigger and better than last year. Our first fun thing was to come up with a way to plant a mannequin with Proven Winners. Well after lots of ideas tossed around we succeeded! See the pictures. We used this mannequin in several places in the store to attract attention to our Proven Winners displays.
We set up several Proven Winners Destinations in our store for 2007. Our main PW Destination is located in the 3rd aisle of our store and this area covers over 2500 sq ft. We used lots of the Proven Winners signage that really attracts the eye. We also set baskets with plants down the center of the bench so customers can see what the finished plants will look like. They are quick to pick up plants that are so beautiful. Another thing that really made our PW's sell was posting employees testimonials of certain plants. Mentioning that 'Kathy' had this plant last year and it was one of her favorites and the reason why really made that plant fly off the bench. We also had someone knowledgeable in PW's working this bench making suggestions and most times those suggestions were taken even the suggestion to add one more plant to their pot or basket. Customers loved this. Many times several people would gather around just to hear the suggestions.
We also set up another Proven Winners Destination with our large moss baskets dropped into large urns. Then we placed all the plants a customer would need to duplicate that pot/basket and the plants sold like crazy. They could see what the finished product was going to look like and they felt confident in their plant choices because they could see the success!
We also set up a Proven Winners Destination that was just a small bench that was in a very well traveled area. In this location we draped white material from the ceiling to form a backdrop and then we used the big Proven Winners posters for Diamond Frost. In this area we had finished pots and baskets with Diamond Frost in them and then just the small pots of Diamond Frost. From this area we sold hundreds of 4.5" Diamond Frost.
Division C (26-75 Employees)
Proven Winners has been a great product for us. Customers are recognizing the value of the product and returning to our store for more. With the TV and magazine ads, plus the available POP, our job has been alot easier getting the word out about a superior product. We have had great success growing the Spring and 'Fall Magic' programs for retail sale, and are looking forward to trying the 'Spring Magic" line. Jean-Marie Dekoster, our display designer, really got inspired at the Proven Winners Road Show last Fall. It was well worth going. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Terri Mitchell
Division D (more than 75 Employees)
With another successful spring season behind us, we are once again very proud to display and provide Proven Winner plant material for our customers. Not only do people come into Wiegand's Nursery asking for specific Proven Winner plants but they are pleasantly surprised when they discover the broad variety we have to offer. It was a huge success to incorporate the PW potting soil and fertilizer in the displays and to inform the customers of the importance of proper nutrition and care for their Proven Winners plants. This year we also decided to tie-in statuary, pottery, and plant stands to the PW displays in order to provide customers with ideas, and then in-turn boost sales with the featured plants and products. With our staff being certified under the Proven Winners 2007 Garden Center Program, we are not only able to provide our customers with the best plant material but also with the best service. In addition, since becoming a listed carrier of Proven Winners on The Weather Channel our sales and requests for Proven Winners have overwhelmingly increased at Ray Wiegand's Nursery.