The cart is empty 
New Lease of Life for Sam Smyth and Urban Plant Life as Retail Therapy Kicks In
- 27 September 2012
Like so many businesses through this recession, Sam Smyth’s Plant Life rental business was faced in recent years with making some tough decisions about what direction it needed take to survive, and indeed to grow, in the future. Sam had run Plant Life very successfully for many years, renting and maintaining plants in corporate offices, on film and TV sets, as well as conferences, exhibitions, etc. However, as the recent recession began to bite most businesses, the “luxury” of plant hire and maintenance was near first to be removed.
This left Sam with the difficulty of identifying direction for the future of the business. It was during such a conversation as he considered his options that good friend Gina O’Brien suggested that as Plant Life had always dealt directly with a small number of customers from their site on Cork Street in Dublin 8, that a full retail offering should be considered.
Urban Plant Life was born in 2010 and had a moderate amount of success. It brought in extra revenue to support the rental business which was surviving, but at a greatly diminished level than before. 2011 grew the business significantly in percentage terms, but it was still relatively small in euro turnover. Yet Sam could see the potential his city centre site.
Early in 2012, an opportunity arose to take part in Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy. This RTE TV programme features successful supermarket supremo and Senator, Feargal Quinn, who used own the Superquinn supermarket group. Feargal has had great success in assisting retailers, from various sectors, to develop and grow their businesses, using his experience gleaned form a lifetime of retailing and using expert advisors where possible.
Feargal’s team could immediately see the potential for Urban Plant Life, but some basics had to be worked on first. Sam would be the first to admit that although a successful businessman, he was no retailer. And that is naturally, where the retail therapy began.
Starting from the street, there was little by way of strong identity or signage which would get customers to notice Urban Plant Life, never mind actually “go inside”. Fresh painting of the roadside walls and the addition of a mural of large and colourful flowers, bring a whole new look and feel to the space. And most importantly, customers and potential customers can now easily find Urban Plant Life.
The site itself was quite cluttered with a lot of rental planting being stored “between jobs” and other rental returns, from the “Celtic Tiger” days, which would probably never be rented again. Sam made the bold decision to hold a SALE, to clear what was not going to be rented again and to clear off items which would move too slowly while not justifying the space it held up.
The result was that with the release of space and with the help of guidance from Carol Marks at Bórd Bia and Alistair Lorimer, that the site could be reorganised into customer friendly groupings, typically:
- Outdoor plants:
Large specimen plants
Small display “gardens” or vignettes
Individual plants ready for sale
Large plants in containers ready for sale
Small plants
Shrubs, displayed on benches in the open
Bedding and small container plants, displayed on benches in the
Polytunnel
Herbs, also displayed on benches in the tunnel
Small plants in containers ready for sale
Empty containers
Compost
- Indoor Plants:
Artificial plants
Specimen plants displayed on the floor
Small plants and flowers, displayed on stands
Specimen houseplants
Individual plants ready for sale
Large plants in containers ready for sale
Empty containers
Small houseplants
Main range on tables
Houseplants ready gift wrapped to sell as gifts
Houseplant pot covers
Water features
Plant care fertilisers and chemicals (at the checkout).
Other new initiatives included:
- Planting and advice service, as there are many flat and apartment dwellers in theimmediate vicinity
- A new delivery service
- A Landscaping service and
- A new (full barista) coffee shop.
Alongside all of the above, Feargal dispensed much of his expertise in being customer focussed and in offering the best in customer service, to ensure customers are excited about their visit and most significantly, that they will return again and again.
Since the relaunch on Saturday September 1st, Sam and his team have been very busy and the future for Urban Plant Life now looks a lot brighter. Sam has many more initiatives that he wants work on into the future, but there is no substitute for basic retail know-how and excellent customer service.
The programme will be screened on RTE One this November.
Keith Harford
Keith is Retail Consultant to
Feargal Quinn's Retail Therapy
as shown on RTE One TV.
T: 353-87-946-4446
F: 353-87-5946-4446
E: keith@keithharford.com
W: www.keithharford.com
Source: HortiTrends News Room
