Armstrong reaps benefits from The Flower Fields

Home Channel News, Oct 23, 2000 by Brae Canlen

Newest garden center becomes 'gift shop 'for popular floral tourist attraction

CARLSBAD, CALIF. -- Between mid-March and mid-May 2001, about 200,000 people are expected to visit The Flower Fields of Carlsbad, a local growing operation that has evolved into a popular tourist destination. Busloads of visitors will stroll through acres of colorful ranunculus blooms, take pictures of each other against the dramatic backdrop and then exit through a turnstile that deposits them into the newest location of Armstrong Garden Centers.

Founded in 1889, Armstrong has century-long roots in the Southern California nursery industry. So does the Paul Ecke Ranch Company, which raises flowers in greenhouses throughout northern San Diego County. Together, the retailer and grower are reaping the profits of an image they created together.

This kind of brand cultivation has helped Armstrong survive and prosper in the era of big boxes and discount merchandisers. All 34 of its stores are located in Southern California, yet Armstrong ranks fifth in sales among nursery outlets nationwide. The Glendale-based retailer is planning a northern expansion. Its president and CEO, Mike Kunce, hopes to build three to five units in Northern California by next spring. Real estate agents are scouting areas with the right demographics: basically, homeowners who can afford the extra expense of outdoor living.

"Years ago, our philosophy was to buy existing garden centers and put our umbrella over them," Kunce said. "But our focus has changed, because presentation is so important now."

In 1998, Armstrong purchased 15 stores from Sunbelt Nursery, a bankrupt lawn and garden retailer that operated the Nurseryland chain in Southern California. After that acquisition, Armstrong closed five stores and remodeled 10, many of which had been stripped by termites and fixture-hungry liquidators.

At about the same time, Armstrong hired Judy Farris, a marketing executive from the department store industry, to create a brand identity for the company. "We looked at everything the customer sees," said Farris, who helped develop the company icon of a kneeling female gardener who typifies Armstrong's customer base. "Charlotte" now appears on Armstrong's signage, plant tags, plastic bags and anywhere else her picture will fit. Armstrong's newspaper ads, which appear weekly, repeat the same colors, borders and design elements.

As part of this re-branding effort, Armstrong reformatted its stores with a new look and merchandise mix. The decor, which Farris described as "elegant country," features old black-and-white photos and farmhouse antiques. Daylight streams in through the ceiling and "light classical" tunes (think chamber music) waft through the air. It's a sensory shopping experience designed to contrast with a larger-store experience. And it appeals to high-income gardeners who are willing to pay more for better selection and service.

Armstrong built five new stores in line with the new format, three of them in San Diego County. The Carlsbad location, 38 miles north of downtown San Diego, is the prototype. In the middle of the 8,800-square-foot store sits a large white gazebo that usually features a seasonal display. An airborne Santa flew a biplane in small circles in early October, when store manager Kim Fulk transformed half of the interior floor space into displays of Christmas tree ornaments, unique light sets, decorator candles, figurines and other holiday collectibles.

"When you spark someone's interest, the price issue drops away," said Fulk, admitting that she sometimes takes customers on a circuitous route when escorting them to the outside nursery. Fulk likes to continually change the merchandise mix, a luxury abetted by Armstrong's full-time giftware buyer. All of the new-format stores carry an assortment of soils, chemicals and dry goods, but the emphasis is on "garden boutique" offerings displayed on wooden racking. Most of this inventory is nature related, allowing time-starved homeowners to add a new element to their mental gardens.

Profiting from the tourist season

The fantasy of being surrounded by Mother Nature becomes a reality in The Flower Fields, a 50-acre patchwork quilt of pink, blue, yellow, red and white ranunculi. The Ecke family uses the fields as a source of bulbs, which it sells to nurseries around the country. (The Eckes' operation is also a major supplier of poinsettia plants.) The blooming fields dazzle passing motorists on Interstate 5, and locals remember a time when they could park along the side of the road and wander through the fields.

In the early 1990s, the development arm of the Ecke Ranch turned Flowers Fields into a tourist destination with pedestrian paths, paved parking and admission. (Prices are now $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and kids.) Company officials approached Armstrong in 1997 and asked if it was interested in managing a retail operation on the property.

One idea led to another, and the following year, Armstrong broke ground on its 34th store. (The garden center is owned by Armstrong, which leases the land from the Ecke Ranch and pays royalties on Flower Fields merchandise.) The store opened in early March, right before the ranunculus popped up and the crowds descended. "Eight weeks of insanity and chaos" is how Fulk described it. After touring the flower fields, visitors are funneled through the outdoor nursery, where they can buy cut ranunculus flowers or bulbs. Inside the garden center are Flower Fields post cards, T-shirts, coffee mugs, refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs. On Saturdays and Sundays, 3,000 to 4,000 people cycle through the store, which generates around 600 transactions every day.