At Coast of Maine we get to communicate and work with independent businesses that rely on ingenuity and creativity in their marketing and merchandising efforts. This blog is designed to share those ideas with the hope that it will help each business make the most of their marketing and merchandising budgets.
Share on FacebookWelcome to the Coast of Maine Blog
October 27th, 2009Relationships, Beautiful Places and Great Products
April 30th, 2010One of our longtime customers, Nathan Russell from Granite Gardens in Tenants Harbor, Maine called to place his order the other day. Nathan uses his own truck to pick up our compost products for his garden center. Although it is beautiful, the ride is over 3 hours to our composting and bagging facility in Marion, Maine.
After he ordered he asked, “Can I leave my rig in your yard over the weekend? My wife and I eloped to West Quoddy Head 11 years ago and this weekend is our anniversary. I would like to drive up with my truck on Friday and leave my rig in the Coast of Maine yard while we celebrate over the weekend in Lubec.”
This request made me smile because it reflects the relationship we have with our customers. I knew the answer would be yes but I had to check to make sure it was O.K. with Ruby Trott and Jeff Moore who run our compost facility.
This time of year is crazy with production, bagging and loading trucks. Jeff and Ruby do a wonderful job making sure that everything is running up to par. They are two of the hardest working people I know. They are also partners in life and have great big “Downeast” souls and sensibilities.
Ruby checked with Jeff and of course it was fine with them.
Nathan will drive up with his wife, spend a beautiful weekend in Lubec, along the Bay of Fundy, and then pick up his load of Coast of Maine soils.
His load will include our Fundy Enriching Mulch named after the Bay of Fundy and our Penobscot Blend Complete Planting Mix named after Penobscot Bay, where Nathan lives.
Granite Gardens also sells of Quoddy Lobster Compost , so whether Nathan and his wife Jody are working at the garden center, celebrating their marriage or simply visiting one of the most beautiful places in the world, Coast of Maine will always be there even if it is just to offer some free parking.
Share on FacebookSandwich Agway, Green Choice
April 26th, 2010
At Coast of Maine we have been doing business with Sandwich Agway for years and they do a great job merchandising Coast of Maine products.
They also care deeply about their local environment and embracing sustainable practices as a way to increase their business. They have joined the local Cape and Islands Green, a new pilot program that recognizes area companies for their efforts at improving their eco-friendliness.
In a recent article in the Cape Cod Times, Donna Kutil has many quotes that are significant for all our garden centers.
“We’re supposed to be green — garden centers are the original green people,” said Donna Kutil, one of the business’ owners. “Our customers are really excited about it.”
“Our environment is our economy, really.”
“A lot of average consumers and a lot of small business owners are intimidated by measures that might come from environmental groups, whereas this is coming from the business community,” she said. “We don’t want it to be regulatory — we want it to be evolutionary.”
To read the full article, follow the link at: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capecodonline.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D%2F20100406%2FBIZ%2F4060301&h=ac30c
And if you have local initiatives like this, Coast of Maine may be able to help you with promotion and product donations.
( The photo used in this article comes from the Cape Cod Times)
Share on FacebookMaking the Right Product Choices for Your Independent Business
December 11th, 2009Independent retailers are constantly challenged with deciding on what products to carry. Does the product represent their business philosophy? Does it have enough intrinsic value and brand recognition to maintain good margins? Is the packaging attractive and informative? Is the product quality and availability good and consistent? In short does the product increase the bottom line while building customer loyalty and trust?
On a recent visit to Riverside Nursery & Garden Center in Collinsville, Connecticut, recognized by Today’s Garden Center as one of the top 100 Revolutionary Garden Centers in the country; I interviewed Jena Hinman Keller in regard to these very questions.
The result of the interview is a four and a half minute video in which Jena articulately explains her thought process in selecting the products she carries. She is very aware of the look, the credibility of the product, the message that Riverside is sending to the customer by carrying the product, how the product enhances the garden center’s reputation as the “gardening experts” and her choice to be more upfront in pushing organic products.
We invite you to watch the video and we thank Jena for choosing Coast of Maine.
Click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/cameronbonsey#p/a/u/2/EzEqrQ1CRO0
Send a Note to an Old Friend
November 5th, 2009As I talk to business owners about marketing, I always explain to them that they know their own backyard for reaching out to the consumer better than we do at Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc.
Most of our stores have lean budgets and small staffs and marketing becomes a secondary concern especially during the height of the season. The number one basic piece of advice that I give to each of them is that “Your current customer is your most important customer.”
A simple and very effective way to build your relationship with your current customer and get them to return to your store more often is to make sure you collect their email address and start an enewsletter.
Now, before you sigh and say “I don’t have time to do this” or “I don’t know how to use a computer”, think about it as a very basic form of communication, like writing a letter to a friend.
Keep it short, concise and add liberal amounts of your own personality. Don’t worry about making it fancy.
There are inexpensive services to help you with a template like Constant Contact ® or iContact but even if you simply collect your customer emails and send a monthly email “note” that gives store information, product information and lets your customers know how you are doing, you’ll deepen your relationship and they’ll think of your business the next time they set out on a shopping trip.
To collect those email addresses, offer a benefit to the customer for signing up. Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford, NH Hampshire does a drawing for a $25 gift certificate each month for the customers who sign up for their newsletter that month. There is an attractive sign, clearly visible, right above the checkout counter that explains everything in a very enticing way.
Wentworth Greenhouses "join our email newsletter" sign.
The investment is well worth the return.
We are also working on our database of informative articles to help you if you need help or ideas. Just give us a call at 1-800345-9315 or email me at cameronb@coastofmaine.com .
We’re happy to help you in any we can and we’ll treat you like an old friend.
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