Another week into the holiday season, another helpful tip on how to sell better and more during this critical sales period. And this one should help you reach some Gen Z shoppers.

American Express has partnered with TikTok to make that happen. According to the 2022 Shop Small Impact Study from the credit company, 72% of small business owners indicate that their customers rely on their social media channels to receive news about the store. Almost 88% of those owners said it has also helped them find new customers. 

The American Express/TikTok partnership will launch the #ShopSmall Accelerator to help small businesses grow. The partnership makes sense for both American Express and small businesses alike because, according to 77% of TikTok users, the platform has likely given them gift-giving ideas this year.

The #ShopSmall Accelerator takes the form of a video toolkit that includes best practices and resources that small businesses can employ in order to reach more Gen Z and Millennial shoppers on TikTok. It’ll also aid small business owners in telling their stories and help them stand out in the crazy holiday shopping season. Also on the table is an offer from TikTok to eligible small businesses for a $100 ad credit to use on the app once they spend $50 on their first TikTok Ads campaign. Interested in finding out more about the #ShopSmall Accelerator? Learn more HERE.

And don’t forget about other Shop Small resources, including those from the Shop Small Studio (templates for creating customized marketing materials) and ByBlack, a platform to support and bolster Black-owned businesses.

Here’s a bonus holiday item! And it’s about something you sell. Christmas trees. Live ones.

According to Trees.com’s recent survey of 1,250 Americans who celebrate Christmas, 7% more plan to buy a real Christmas tree this year compared to last year. That’s good news! Also on the good news front is that nearly 20% say they are willing to pay $200 or more for their tree.

There is bad news from the survey: 56% say they will have to reduce their spending this year due to inflation. We could put a positive spin on this and say that consumers would prefer to spend money on a tree from us and will cut back on their electronics purchases in order to do so.

There is reportedly no Christmas tree shortage this year. I will note, however, that my Christmas tree-growing neighbor is skipping sales this year for a “season of growth,” according to his sign. I helped him plant around 500 saplings this spring, and I can say he’s having a hard time with the worsening drought conditions each summer.

Tell me about your recent Christmas tree experiences—whether that’s selling them or growing them—by dropping me a note about it HERE. I know a few of you were sold out before the end of Thanksgiving weekend. Keep me posted!

Let’s jump beyond the holiday season and land squarely in January, when many of you will be headed to AmericasMart Atlanta. If your store is looking to add new lines of furniture, I recently got word that nearly 50 casual furniture and outdoor living showrooms will be debuting there ahead of the launch of the International Casual Furniture Association’s Casual Market Atlanta, happening later in summer.

Gensun Casual Living outdoor furniture (cute puppy not included, unfortunately)

AmericasMart’s new casual furniture collection will be located on Floors 2-5 in Building 1. There you will find high-end outdoor furniture purveyors including Agio USA and Brown Jordan, garden décor offerings from Alfresco Home and companies selling eco-friendly furniture such as C.R. Plastics Products and Jensen Outdoor. You’ll find pillow providers, too! You can never have enough pillows.

As a reminder, the Winter 2023 Atlanta Market will be open January 10-16. Registration is open now. For more information, visit AtlantaMarket.com.

All-America Selections (AAS) just this week announced six new AAS Winners for 2023. These include:

Coleus Sun Coral Candy (National Winner, Seed Annual). The first seed coleus to be an AAS Winner, and bred by PanAmerican Seed. Panamseed.com

Colocasia Royal Hawaiian Waikiki (National Winner, Non-seed Annual). The first colocasia to win, bred by John J. Cho. Licensed by Planthaven.com

Snapdragon DoubleShot Orange Bicolor (National Winner, Seed Annual). Intermediate height, doubled-flowered for gardens or for cuts, bred by Hem Genetics. Hemgenetics.nl

Pepper Jalapeno San Joaquin (National Winner, Edible). A determinate jalapeno setting roughly 50 fruit in a short window, bred by Bejo Seeds www.bejoseeds.com

Squash Kabocha Sweet Jade (National Winner, Edible). A single-serving sized squash with high yield, bred by Johnny’s Selected Seeds. www.johnnyseeds.com

Tomato Zenzei (Great Lakes and Heartland Regional Winner, Edible). Early maturing, high-yielding Roma tomato for the Midwest, bred by Bayer/Seminis Seeds. www.vegetables.bayer.com

For me, there’s never enough new varieties to try. And having the backing of the superb AAS judges means a lot to me! I don’t have to wonder if these plants will perform—the work has already been done. And your customers won’t have to wonder, either. Head over to www.all-americaselections.org to find the plentiful resources AAS provides to help you sell more of these outstanding varieties.

From new outstanding varieties to one that built a dynasty—Flower Carpet Pink Rose. It joins only 17 other roses in the 46 years of the World Federation of Rose Societies to be awarded a place in the Rose Hall of Fame. And although Flower Carpet Pink may be among 17 other roses, it’s the first ground cover rose to accept the honor.

Flower Carpet Pink was bred by Werner Noack and released in 1989. Werner’s aim in breeding this new rose was considered radical at the time, when “fussy” roses still reigned supreme. Why not breed a large-bloomed, easy-to-grow, low-maintenance rose that needed no chemicals in order to look and perform beautifully? Oh, and by the way, it’s disease resistant, too. Just listing off these breeding objectives—and goals Werner met—I’m considering replacing my grub-infested middle lawn with some sort of pea gravel-and-rose landscape scheme.

Yet another honor that Flower Carpet Roses can add to the series’ treasure trove! Congratulations not just to Werner posthumously, but to all of you who have helped make the Flower Carpet Rose family one that home gardeners have counted on for more than three decades.

Grower-retailers, put down the poinsettias and your store’s holiday decorations because Ball Publishing has a webinar you should not miss! Why? Because it’ll save you money next season.

Don’t miss “Improve Your Bottom Line with Biological Active Ingredients” coming up on Thursday, December 1 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central. The free webinar will discuss how biological active ingredients work within your potting mix, and how they have a positive impact on your plants through every stage of growth.

Our guest expert will be horticulture specialist Troy Buechel, who has been part of Premier Tech Grower Services since 1995. Troy will guide you through the world of active ingredients and show you how the investment translates into substantial benefits for your plants, for you and yes, even for your customers.

Register for this FREE webinar at www.growertalks.com/webinars now. You’ll be glad you put down the garland and joined in!

I buy certain gifts for my mother each year for Christmas. I’m her go-to gifter for licorice, a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card and an amaryllis bulb. She’s a big fan of the oversized bulbs and it’s one thing the cat doesn’t really chew on. Plus, they really are beautiful.

I just heard that the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) has adopted the amaryllis flower to represent hope and determination as they celebrate advancements in HD research. HDSA is selling amaryllis bulbs—individually and as cases—with proceeds going to research efforts.

If you’d like to support HDSA, you may still be able to buy cases of four different amaryllis varieties. This is a nice way to give back to a good cause and also bring awareness to the genetic disease that affects the brain. This time of year, people really do want to support good causes. Let your amaryllis sales make a difference. Learn more about the disease HERE and order your cases HERE.