Sell lawn and garden products throughout the store

E 9R MANY home cenrers, rhe f lawn and garden department is off to one side, often outdoors or in an adjacent building. lmpulse sales are low because such setups mean lighter floor traflic. Customers won't near the front of the store, especially at the start ofgardening season.

Some retailers line up larger outdoor products, such as wheelbarrows, mowers and barbecues, along the front of the building. And ment is a great place to catch the eye of the female shopper. Include live plants, planters, plant hangers, pails, bins, even potting soil or weed preventers.

Hand and power tools can be displayed in the lawn and garden as well as the tool department. Place outdoor lighting in the electrical section. The plumbing area can also house sprinkler systems, components and accessoriesl drip watering and irrigation kits; garden faucets and valves; garden hose couplings and connectors, and swimming pool accessories and chemicals,

Story at a Glance

Brlng lawn and garden prcducrts out of the nursery to lurc custo merc in... displays, sklewalk sales, cross merchandlslng plant ideas in shoppers' minds.

[&G departments aren't the only place to sell outdoor products.

just pass through the nursery on their way to the hardware section. Those in the nursery are there specifically to buy lawn and garden products.

The trick is to plant the seed of lawn and garden sales when they come in the store for another reason. An excellent starter is an elaborate gardening or outdoor living display sidewalk or parking lot sales of lawn and garden products are often more convenient to stage due to where and how they are already stocked.

Small objects, including packets of vegetable and flower seeds and even wild bird seed, at the checkout make high margin impulse items.

Cross merchandising leads to addon sales. The housewares depart- llr lTH the current money

The lumber yard is another selling area for trellises, lattice, gates, landscape timbers and kits for gazebos, outdoor play equipment and picnic and leisure furniture. Position deck stain, brightener and water repellent nearby as well.

More fashion-oriented items make for eye-catching displays at the end of any aisle. Merchandise mailboxes. weathervanes. bird houses and feeders, flags and flag poles, and lawn ornaments throughout the store. And a hanging plant fits in about anywhere.

UU crunch, many suppliers have become involuntary lenders to builder and remodeler customers.

Credit experts warn that with fewer jobs to bid and more competitive pricing, builders accustomed to working on "the float" will stop paying and go out of business. In addition, they caution dealers to be prepared for good customers becoming slow pays. Excuses for not paying on time will include delayed invoices, missing paperwork and a client who has not paid for work done.

Establishing an effective accounts receivable strategy is important, they point out. Credit limits and collection policies must be predetermined. Salespeople must share the responsibility for collections and credit problems.

"Motivate the sales force to screen potential customers carefully," suggests a tough credit manager. "Charging back their commissions on uncollectible accounts is an excellent incentive."

Credit applications should be received from all new customers. With trade references, net worth, financial condition and history, credit managers can better judge the applicant and establish suitable credit boundaries.

Effective credit practices include refusing to ship to past due accounts until they make arrangements with the credit department to pay the past due balance.

"Although we don't place limits on our accounts," a credit manager said, "we hold orders until arrangements for payment are made, even if they are as little as one day past due. This gets a customer into the paying habit."

Flagging accounts when they are within 100/o of their credit limit and reviewing them every day helps some credit oflices stay on top of receivables. Notes and a personal guarantee from an oflicer in the company is an acceptable payment solution for some dealers. Finance charges also may be charged on overdue accounts, but they must comply with state laws.

Never accept a post dated check is the recommendation of a seasoned credit pro, "What we do is take a deposit check and hold it until a date agreed upon between us and the customer, never longer than one week. That way we have a check in hand, not one in the mail."