Martin Breddy of Squires Garden Centre (previously UK head of Scotts Miracle Gro), gave GIMA AGM and Day Conference delegates a rare insight into the differences between suppliers and retailers.
He summarised them under the following succinct, thought-provoking headings:
Speed – retail is so much quicker than the supply side. As a result, retail often has to go with its gut and make snap decisions.
Price & Value – don’t let retailers bully suppliers into reducing prices; instead suppliers need to help retailers to see the value, not just the price.
Breadth – Squires currently lists more than 100,000 SKUs. As a result, retailers cannot look that deeply at any one category, and this will be reflected in the way they interact with suppliers.
Human Service – all those people working in the business, from the shop floor to the café, are the face of the business, so it’s important to work with them to listen, learn and educate.
Environment – garden retailing is much more than just a building – it’s a nice place to visit, and the right environment encourages customers to come back time and time again.
Property – this is your asset, so you need to get it right. Invest when required as the return will be notable.
Marketing – Squires may be a £50m turnover business but its marketing team can be counted on one hand. In retail, teams are much smaller, and this means that decisions are made quicker and more impulsively – a significant difference when compared to the supplier side.
External Focus – in retail you have the chance to talk to end consumers, and there is significantly less internal hassle, meaning you can get on with the job at hand and get involved at the coalface as well as top-level executive thinking.
Culture – retail is deeply rooted in communities/localities. In the case of Squires, it is a family-business, which is reflected in the way the business operates. In an ever more frantic world, garden retailers are here to help people relax and live happier lives – not just a merchant but more an experience.
