I was watching the home shopping channels recently and I was amazed at how much Holday Product they were selling to their viewers.

On the Tube
There they were. Beautifully decorated. Artificial trees, prelit, and with not only the ubiquitous minis but fiber-optics as well. Pricing? Very user friendly. Next they showed special electrical boxes that accommodate eight plug ins of four light strands each and buttons that made the light show blink, sequence or stay on. In short, the Holiday products that you sell are now available to the consumer and are getting better and more sophisticated every year. In fact, some of the same suppliers we buy from are selling on TV under a different brand name.

What Does This Mean for the Commercial Holiday ‘Scaper?
It means that you, too, have to keep moving forward and continually update your skills and Holiday designs. What was once out of scope for most consumers is now available at every Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Home Shopping Channel, www.qvc.com. To stay one ornament covered branch ahead of the pack you have to do your homework. Homework like going to market, visiting local floral product wholesalers, and talking to company reps.

 Large or Small
If you are relatively small in Holiday work a visit to your local floral product wholesaler or regional gift mart show may suffice. However, companies doing larger amounts of Holiday work may opt for attending the large Mart Shows such as the ones in Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Las Vegas. These all take place in January and often conflict with parts of TPIE so some companies attend one or the other or, bite the bullet and have someone attend one show and another person attend the other. Depends on how big your business is and what you can afford. Some companies attend the Mart Shows every other year instead of every year. Let your size, budget, and needs dictate your decisions.

Green Is Gold
Don’t forget green plant sales just because you are up to your aspidistra in poinsettia. Guaranteed Maintenance is still your bread and butter so make sure you keep calling on potential ’scaper clients. Otherwise, come January you will compromise all those Holiday profits. Word to the wise. Keep that pipeline filled!