With last December officially reported as the warmest month on record, and the wettest in more than a hundred years, the success of the lawn care category in 2016 will no doubt be affected as consumers return to their gardens with a degree of uncertainty. Guy Jenkins, Consumer Manager for DLF/Johnsons Lawn Seed, says that these conditions could still provide the perfect opportunity to demonstrate product knowledge and engender increased customer loyalty."We need to reassure garden centre customers that they can carry on investing in lawn care as normal. There is bound to be more than a small amount of trepidation - especially in the north, in flood affected areas, and where there has been snow on the ground. Other scare stories regarding cold weather yet to come may also have an effect, causing many customers to think much more carefully about when or even if they can start sowing.
During periods of consumer uncertainty like this, it's essential that problem solving products are pushed to the front of the shelf.
Formulated to establish in minimum temperatures of 3˚C and still the fastest establishing ryegrass and red fescue mix on the market, Johnsons Lawn Seed's Any Time is an ideal grass seed mixture to base your spring lawn care offering around.
The 1 is the perfect product to put a consumer’s mind at ease – the quickest, fastest and hardest wearing seed on the market, whilst also requiring less maintenance. A great premium product to recommend if a customer needs quality results fast.
Our research and development team has lead to a complete reformulation of bestsellers General Purpose, Tuffgrass, Quick Lawn and Quick Fix – which all now feature improved germination rates, establishment speed, drought resistance, wear tolerance and overall appearance - all designed to increase consumer’s confidence at the point of purchase.
On the other hand of course, we could see a marked surge in demand for lawn care as owners replace and repair their damaged lawns, so either way 2016 has the potential to be an excellent year for grass seed and related products.
There are many basic do's and don'ts considering the merchandising of your lawn care range. Do make it easy for customers to tell the difference between similar products, for example, by highlighting a product using visual recommendation, double facing products, and price promotions. Don't assume customers know how to care for their lawn, but don't condescend either – shop floor staff on hand with reliable product knowledge is ideal, and when they aren’t around, POS showing relevant advice can also be invaluable. The Johnsons Lawn Seed catalogue is a wealth of product information so feel free to reproduce relevant facts, hints and tips in order to stimulate sales.
Johnsons Lawn Seed's products and tips can be found on its new website, www.johnsonslawnseed.com. Orders can be placed by calling 01386 791113 or emailing orders@johnsonslawnseed.com.
Find out more
To find out more about Johnsons Lawn Seed, visit www.johnsonslawnseed.com, email consumer@dlf.co.uk, or telephone 01386 791113.
