FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Frank Guglielmi (734) 844-2781frank.guglielmi@meijer.com
MEIJER GARDEN CENTERS GET BUSY AS WEATHER BEGINS TO BREAK FOR PLANTING SEASON
Arrival of Warmer Weather Brings Out Home Gardeners and Outdoor Enthusiasts
Meijer and the Nature Conservancy Kick-Off Fifth Year of Partnership of Encouraging Shoppers to Select Non-invasive Plants, Trees and Shrubs for Backyards and Gardens
GRAND RAPIDS, MI (May 19, 2011) – Despite winter’s disregard for the calendar, April through mid-May typically kicks off the start to the home gardening season and retailers are finally seeing customer traffic increase as shoppers hit the stores for seasonal home goods, furniture and garden-related products this month.
After experiencing one of the coldest and wettest Aprils in over a century, shoppers are stepping out into the warmer weather for their gardening and landscaping needs just in time for Memorial Day weekend, which is traditionally a very busy shopping period for retailers and garden centers.
Supercenter Meijer is preparing for an extremely busy stretch of days in its garden centers as the warmer weather and sunshine releases pent-up customer demand for outdoor products.
“Recently we have seen increased sales for vegetable, herb and flower seeds as home gardeners have been eagerly waiting for the right weather conditions to get their gardens planted,” said Scott Rake, garden buyer at Meijer. “We are anticipating a strong burst in sales over the next several weekends as customers can finally dig in to all their outdoor projects.”
For the backyard gardener looking to enjoy the fruits of their labor, Meijer has begun offering “Bonnie”, the leading national brand of vegetable and herb plants as well as a great assortment of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs to help spruce up any shopper’s landscaping projects.
For the outdoor enthusiast, Meijer is also kicking off its fifth year of partnering with The Nature Conservancy in offering customers select non-invasive plants, trees and shrubs for their backyards. Invasive plants are those that have negative effects on our economy, environment or human health and can quickly overwhelm native plants by reducing the availability of light, water, nutrients and space.
The Nature Conservancy scientists have developed criteria for recommending plants, trees and shrubs that will carry a special Conservancy’s logo indicating “Recommended Non-Invasive” on the tags of more than 100 items available in the Meijer Garden Centers.
Examples of species that will receive the special Conservancy icon on tags include the Purple Coneflower (flower), the White Pine (tree), the Big Blue Stem (grass) and the Redtwig Dogwood (tree).
To learn more about being a conscientious gardener, please visit www.nature.meijer.com
About MeijerMeijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 196 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As the inventor of the "one-stop shopping" concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings. Additional information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more can be found at www.meijer.com.
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