Columns

Get with the Picture

Amanda Thomsen

I love my phone and it loves me.

Columns

Getting (and Staying) Fit

Jennifer Zuri

How Aquascape Inc. created a culture of wellness at its headquarters.

Columns

Let’s Talk Politics

Jennifer Polanz

In the end, we’re all part of this big experiment together.

Columns

Your Bold Action

Ellen C. Wells

Couch it in compassion.

Consumer Buzz

America’s Debt

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Debt is Americans’ No. 1 financial stressor, according to a GOBankingRates.com survey, despite the fact that 51% of consumers claim not to be in debt.

Consumer Buzz

Black Friday Traffic Up, Spending Down

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Thanksgiving Weekend saw some 154 million shoppers in 2016, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Consumer Buzz

Call Centers Leave a Lot to Be Desired

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Customer satisfaction with service contact centers is at its lowest level in the nine years since CFI Group has been ranking them in its Contact Center Satisfaction Index.

Consumer Buzz

Consumers Say Phooey to Phone Calls

Ann-Marie Vazzano

About four in 10 (42%) of shoppers think it would be helpful if a brick-and-mortar store knew about their online product research so store associates could better assist them.

Consumer Buzz

Millennials Moving On Up

Ann-Marie Vazzano

There will be more first-time homebuyers in 2017, according to realtor.com’s Active Home Shopper report.

Consumer Buzz

Overspenders

Ann-Marie Vazzano

More than three-quarters of consumers overspend on holiday gifts, according to TD Bank’s Merry Money Holiday Spending survey.

Consumer Buzz

Shopping Evolves

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Consumers expect more and more from retailers, according to Deloitte’s 31st holiday survey.

Consumer Buzz

Shopping Preferences

Ann-Marie Vazzano

More women than men (43% vs. 36%) prefer shopping in-store, according to a report from cloud catalog company Indix.

Consumer Buzz

Small, But Mighty

Ann-Marie Vazzano

If the stats are right, shoppers should have been flocking to your stores this holiday season.

Consumer Buzz

The End of Black Friday?

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Half of consumers didn’t plan to shop on Black Friday in 2016.

Consumer Buzz

Trends for 2017

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Digital marketing agency Absolunet recently compiled a list of e-commerce trends it says will impact retailers in the coming year.

Consumer Buzz

Why Shoppers Shop Online

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Online shopping has its perks, specifically avoiding traffic and long lines, but lower prices and free shipping are the main reasons consumers choose to shop online during the holidays.

Cover Story

One Size Does Not Fit All

Jennifer Polanz

Retailers sound off on the impact of minimum wage and overtime rules in our 8th annual Wage & Benefit report.

Features

Container Series: Rev It Up with Red

Kylee Baumle

Any time is a good time to use red, whether it’s in the garden, an indoor container, personal fashion or interior décor.

Features

HUMAN RESOURCES: Helping You Help Your Employees

Ellen C. Wells

Find the resources to keep the humans in your business running smoothly.

Features

Low Maintenance: The Plant Equivalent of Furniture

Christina Salwitz

Managing customer expectations when it comes to gardening isn’t an easy task.

Features

Tricks: Winter Warmth

Jennifer Polanz

It’s tough staying warm during the winter (and keeping the heat bill up to date), so I pulled a few displays from the Portland Garden Centers of America tour as a reminder of some options during the winter months.

Front Lines

Farwest Changes Dates, Times

Jennifer Polanz

If you’ve already marked your calendar for Farwest, scratch it out and mark Wednesday, August 23 through Friday, August 25.

Front Lines

Look to Nature for Color Inspiration

Jennifer Polanz

Pantone released its Color of the Year in early December and the “it” new color is Greenery.

Front Lines

Millennials Getting Cozy With Credit

Jennifer Polanz

Older Millennials in the U.S. are starting to use credit cards more often, according to a new consumer survey from Mercator Advisory Group.

Front Lines

NGB Offers “Year of” Materials

Ellen C. Wells

Our industry gets so caught up in the latest and greatest new introduction that it can lose sight of the fact that lots of cash-carrying consumers—the folks ultimately paying the bills—have never heard of a petunia.

Front Lines

There’s an App for Western

Jennifer Polanz

You’ve heard that saying, “there’s an app for that.” Welp, Western attendees, there’s an app for you, too.

Profit Planet

General Washington’s Wisdom

Bill McCurry

As a manager, Washington knew his strengths and weaknesses.

The Friel World

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot? Sometimes

John Friel

Research shows that messed-up messages sow doubt in consumers’ minds.

The Goods

Adriana Heikkila

ACHLA Designs; Anamese Garden & Home; Burpee; Chocolate Cats Distribution Inc.; Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm; Dümmen Orange; Georgetown Home and Garden; Moso Natural; Nature’s Source Plant Food; Pioneer Gardens Inc.; Plants Nouveau LLC; Pleasant View Gardens Inc.; Quarto Publishing Group USA; Radius Garden LLC; Sakata Seed America Inc.; Timber Bay Home & Garden; Van Belle Nursery Inc.