Garden Ridge: the serious business of casual

Discount Store News, March 23, 1998 by Mike Duff

While it doesn't carry electronic kitchen items, Garden Ridge does carry a limited selection of cookware as part of a basic set for customers' convenience.

In developing private label housewares, Garden Ridge teams with vendors to hash out styling and color issues. Target has taken a similar approach among those mass retailers that are keeping proprietary labels private. Kmart, in contrast, has brought in Martha Stewart to develop color and styling choices under her own name. Such efforts demonstrate that retailers that want to reach out for a style-conscious customer have to approach issues such as color in a thoughtful and sophisticated way.

"We take the lead and have several vendors that participate in our color and style council," Lewis said, "We meet with them twice yearly to review colors for the next 18 months. We typically distill the recommendation into a Garden Ridge color and style program. We agree on a standardized pallet and accent it with colors that change seasonally."

Garden Ridge expects buyers to subscribe to and support the color and style program in each department.

"It's easy for buyers to support and for vendors to execute. We've been doing this for eight years, and the program gets bigger every year," Lewis said.

While a basic color and style guide exists, it doesn't mean that the same goods will be found at every Garden Ridge store. Quite the opposite.

"Our stores are constantly being adjusted. We maximize space on a store-by-store basis," Lewis said.

Garden Ridge Houston

Store Size: 120,000 sq. ft. to 140,000 sq. ft.

Number of Stores: 22 in 10 Southern states.

Sales Growth: Sales for the first three quarters of fiscal 1998 were up 38.8% from the same period in fiscal 1997.

Strategy: Give category killer feel to departments: housewares; crafts; home accent; candle and scent; silk floral; pottery; basket; picture and frame; holiday decoration; and party supply.