Re: how to improve traffic at iris club sales
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: how to improve traffic at iris club sales
  • From: L* M* <l*@lock-net.com>
  • Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:48:44 -0500
We've had very good sales every year since joining with the University of TN Friends of the Garden event each spring. Not sure how well this will work from now on tho. Sales used to be mid to late June, but starting this year, they were in early May, during peak bloom season, and I'm just not willing to take time or lose blooms by digging then. But it has been getting unbearably hot in June the last few years (our June is now what our August used to be like), so attendance was dropping & it really makes sense for them to have it earlier before it gets so hot :-(
The UT sales charges admission just to get in, then rents space to vendors for garden related items plus food and educational/entertainment. By charging admission, the only people who attend come to spend money/buy plants.
If there isn't an event like that you could join, maybe try combining sales with other types of plant/garden clubs to have a big plant sale/year. Or more than one. We get a lot of 'crossover' customers from those coming for daylilies. Also, we get a lot of business from repeat customers, esp those looking for more rebloomers. So it helps to have the sale at the same place/time of year if possible.
Only really bad sale we ever had was when we didn't advertise well enough because we thought we'd get more traffic in one of those big flea market type malls. Several people stopped by to tell us we should be giving them away our iris 'bulbs', not selling them ;-) Be where people who want irises will be looking for you. 

On 11/17/2011 10:19 AM, dpmallen tds.net wrote:

I am seeking some useful information on how to improve our iris club sales
and increase traffic (buyers) at our sales.


Linda Mann east TN USA zone 7

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