Retailers dig into lawn and garden category - Brief Article

Home Channel News, July 16, 2001

Those options include supermarkets across the country that crossed into the outdoor living category this spring. Previously content with selling hanging plants, folding beach chairs or the occasional picnic table, groceries found room in their aisles for 10-piece upholstered patio table sets, gazebos, chimeneas, redwood benches and market umbrellas. Supermarket chains offering these products include A&P, Kroger, Safeway, Wegmans, Von's and Ralph's.

"Because food has such low margins, supermarkets always think the grass is greener in the hardlines side," observed Richards of HomeBase.

Ray Carungi, outdoor living merchandise manager for TruServ Corp. -- which intends to offer three new garden department planograms to its members in the fall -- has also noticed this encroachment. "I think the [supermarket chains] import a container from overseas and split it between the stores," he observed. "But try getting an extra chair or a replacement part later."

                                                  SALES
                                           ($ millions)
RANK  COMPANY                                      2000     1999
  1   Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Troy,             328.4    487.3
      Mich.
  2   Smith & Hawken, Novato, Calif.              113.0    111.5
  3   Pike Family Nursery, Norcross, Ga.           93.0     88.0
  4   Bachman's, Minneapolis 1                     82.0     78.0
  5   Armstrong Garden Centers, Glendora,          74.0     74.0
      Calif.
  6   Adams Fairacre Farms, Poughkeepsie,          65.0     65.0
      N.Y.
  7   Stein Garden & Gifts, Milwaukee              65.0     60.0
  8   Earl May Seed & Nursery,                     49.0     50.0
      Shenandoah, Iowa
  9   SummerWinds Garden Centers, Boise,           38.9     39.9
      Idaho
 10   Calloway's Nursery, Fort Worth,              53.8     30.0
      Texas
 11   English Gardens, Dearborn Heights,           29.0     29.0
      Mich.
 12   S.K.H. Management, Lititz, Pa.               29.0     29.0
 13   Meadow's Farms, Chantilly, Va.               28.5     28.5
 14   Waterloo Gardens, Exton, Pa.                 29.0     25.3
 15   Mahoney's Rocky Ledge, Winchester,           30.0     25.0
      Pa.
 16   Green Thumb International, North             22.8     22.8
      Hills, Calif.
 17   Bordine Nursery, Rochester Hills,            30.0     22.0
      Mich.
 18   Ramert Interest, San Antonio                 23.0     22.0
 19   Molbak's, Woodinville, Wash.                 21.0     21.0
 20   Chalet Nursery & Garden Shop,                22.0     19.0
      Wilmette, Ill.
 21   Roger's Gardens, Corona del Mar,             19.0     18.0
      Calif.
 22   Stovall & Co., Austell, Ga.                  21.0     17.0
 23   Rowland Nursery, Albuquerque, N.M.           17.0     17.0
 24   Amling's Flowerland, Hinsdale, Ill.          16.0     15.0
 25   Teas Nursery, Bellaire, Texas                15.2     15.2
      Totals/Averages                           1,314.5  1,409.5
               STORE        SALES PER
      percent  COUNT          STORE *
RANK   change   2000  1999       2000
  1     -32.6    218   257       1.51
  2       1.3     43    45       2.63
  3       5.7     30    28       3.10
  4       5.1     24    26       3.42
  5       0.0     34    36       2.18
  6       0.0      3     1      21.66
  7       8.3     14    13       4.64
  8      -2.0     53    53       0.92
  9      -2.6     14    16       2.78
 10      79.4     17    16       3.17
 11       0.0      5     5       5.80
 12       0.0      7     7       4.14
 13       0.0     20    18       1.43
 14      14.6      2     2      14.50
 15      20.0      7     7       4.29
 16       0.0      7     6       3.25
 17      36.4      4     2       7.50
 18       4.5     12    15       1.92
 19       0.0      3     3       7.00
 20      15.8      1     1      22.00
 21       5.6      1     1      19.00
 22      23.5     12    12       1.75
 23       0.0      6     6       2.83
 24       6.7     13    13       1.23
 25       0.0      5     5       3.04
         -6.7    555   594       5.83
Notes:
(*)In millions of dollars.
( )Sales estimated by NHCN
Methodology: The information in
this table was gathered by Tampa,
Fla.-based CSG Information
Services, the research division of
Lebhar-Friedman, NHCN's parent
company.
Source: NHCN research