RETAILER PROFILE: POTTERS HOME DIGITAL Shopfloor
The garden was an opportunity to create a brand new area of business potential and a different revenue path, which is what we’ve seen and grown. And we expected customers to split one budget between indoor and outdoor smart entertainment, but we’ve found that they actually extend their budget once they see the garden to add that on as well as their interior projects.
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Q: Are there seasonal trends where outdoor living is concerned? AJ: Absolutely. We’ve tried to create a unique model to remove some of that seasonality, but in the peak Summer we get impulse purchases where people want to spend time outdoors. This is also the time when we hold events in the garden to encourage people in and drive footfall.
Then in the “off” seasons it’s much more about the design and planning of bigger projects. That doesn’t mean the garden is closed; we do have bookings, but people are thinking longer-term to have projects completed for the following year. The weather does have a big impact; the shifting climate in the UK is lending itself to more people enjoying outdoor living and during Covid people realised they were
“We’re not trying to be the best at every single element of outdoor living; we just create the space to educate consumers on what’s possible.”
neglecting their gardens. And now they value them more than ever! Having said that, the poor Summer we had through July and August this year had a noticeable impact on business.
Q: How do you promote the benefits of a smart garden to your customer base and new potential customers? AJ: We generally do well through word of mouth referral but the core element is working with our partners, and that has been so important because it’s such a usable space for them as well. They bring prospective
clients here and we co-host exclusive events and this provides a constant stream of potential customers that we wouldn’t normally get in front of, and that has been hugely successful.
Whether it’s the sculpturist, the garden office company or our outdoor cooking partners, they can show their audience something they’ve never seen before in a space that is so akin to the product they are offering. Laura designed the garden with various rooms in mind so we can demonstrate that there’s something for everyone. We can cover all bases. Not everyone will want an outdoor cinema but they might be interested in
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