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2016 Farwest Show to feature guest speaker Judy Sharpton

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2016 Farwest Show guest speaker Judy Sharpton focuses on garden retail’s key demographic, where the customer lives, with Homestyle Merchandising® program

JudySharptonFW16The 2016 Farwest Show announced that garden center design and renovation expert, Judy Sharpton, will deliver a feature presentation, titled Homestyle Merchandising® at this year’s show. Homestyle Merchandising® sheds light on retail’s most important customer demographic — where the customer lives. Sharpton’s hands-on presentation will help attendees understand exterior spaces and housing styles within a 15-mile radius of their garden centers. Recognizing the customer’s Homestyle brings focus to the kinds of products, presentations, and events retailers can develop to bring more shoppers into the store.

In a second presentation, Your Store’s Most Important Department, Sharpton builds on Homestyle Merchandising® demographic information to show how other stores have developed container garden departments and outlines a plan to create a successful and profitable department in the garden center. Participants will be able to download the entire program plus a Container Garden Department Handbook for use with staff.

Judy Sharpton is an industry leader in garden retail with 35 years’ experience in advertising and promotion and the owner of Growing Places Marketing. Since 1995, Growing Places Marketing has specialized in on-site consultations on store design, renovation and branding exclusively for independent garden centers and farm markets. Sharpton also provides program content on store development, store branding and product placement to trade groups and suppliers through Growing Places’ Store School™. Her free electronic newsletter, Success Stories (S2), chronicles store development and merchandising campaigns that measure success in the dollars added to store’s the bottom line. Sharpton has LEED Green Associate accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Judy’s participation in this year’s show underscores our commitment to independent garden retail,” said Allan Niemi, Director of Events for OAN. “Her expertise and experience has made positive impact in this key segment for decades and we’re thrilled to have her as part of our program.”