The (sort of) Butterfly Effect at work in the garden retail sector
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etailing at its most basic is about the product, the display, the people and the price. The smallest alteration to any of those can lead to all sorts of changes down the line and can ultimately lead to lost revenue – or increased sales. The Butterfly Effect – poetically paraphrased as ‘Does the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one country eventually affect a tornado’s path on the other side of the world?’ – is a concept put forward by a meteorologist called Lorenz when he discovered that minute changes in air pressure caused larger changes further down the line in weather systems. It might not be as simple as that - or indeed, as accurate but you’ve no doubt heard the theory and grasped the notion. This premise can be applied to garden retail too, where one link in your business can lead to losing a €1.99 sale, or more importantly missing out on a €500 one.
SO, HERE’S A STORy… “Johnny likes plants. He hasn’t much room in his garden, as a large trampoline currently occupies much of it, along with a
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rather contrary dog called Buster. Buster’s raison d’être seems to be the removal of every non-human, living thing from Johnny’s garden, but Johnny is resourceful enough to always find a way to do a little gardening, which up to now is mostly limited to a few herbs on the kitchen window and the odd pot and hanging basket at the front of his neat, modest house. He buys his plants at the local supermarket and he’s proud that he has managed to keep these alive. He loves to cook and the idea of growing something edible has started to appeal to him. So Johnny decides to try to grow some tomatoes, since they are one of his favourite vegetables. And anyway, how hard can it be? Johnny sets off to the local garden centre. They’ll surely help him; they’ll know what to do and show him how to grow a few nice juicy toms - the thoughts of picking them and eating them straight off the tree is making his mouth water. The garden centre isn’t busy when he gets there and there’s a bored looking girl sitting at the checkout. He manages to catch her eye and politely asks where he can find out about growing tomatoes. She sighs and points him towards the back of the garden centre.
HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Summer 2015
PHOTO BY PONGSUWAN
S mAL L CHANG E
