Monday, October 6, 2025
Independence Day
BUILDING & LANDSCAPINGGARDENING OUTDOOR LIVING
“Independent” points of sale… or almost…
Are they better equipped to appeal to today's consumer? That's debatable.
When you visit garden centers, you see beautiful things! Let's take a walk in the garden.
When you visit garden centers, you see beautiful things! Let's take a walk in the garden.
Independents vs. national networks
In a horticultural world often dominated by large national or regional brands with very strict standards, we often find ourselves with homogeneous ranges, strong brand logic...
Independent garden centers continue to play their role of fieldwork, experimentation, and authenticity. Whereas the typical chain offers reassuring consistency, a strong brand, and centralized marketing resources, the independent focuses on individuality.
And what about the customer? They're often making increasingly local choices. They prefer a direct relationship, favorites, and a showcase of local producers. The challenge for independent producers is to combine the rigor of management, inventory, and marketing with the freedom to offer something out of the box, to be daring, and to surprise.
As JdC Garden Trends approaches, it's precisely this off-the-beaten-track vitality that I want to highlight. Retirees have time... They go fishing, and in some cases, they spend their time visiting garden centers. There are some strange hobbies sometimes! Whatever the case, here are four examples I encountered this year, along the way.
The Gardener’s Counter – Longué-Jumelles (49)
Independent in a branded setting! Le Comptoir du Jardinier is located in Longué-Jumelles. It clearly displays its affiliation with Teract. The brand is also mentioned on its website: http://www.lecomptoirdujardinier.fr.
That said, in practice, this point of sale operates with considerable autonomy. It doesn't have the traditional look! The store is run by a local manager, who has been able to personalize the offering and work on local assortments. He has thus earned strong recognition among his customers. And it is this lovely garden center that won our "Bonjour" competition, awarded during the Promojardin / Promanimal convention in March 2025.
Its strength lies in its ability to combine the efficiency of a network (negotiated purchasing, logistics, visibility) with the agility of an independent (flexibility of choice, local responsiveness, direct customer relations). It is this hybridization that allows it to excel. When a purely independent store has to tackle all the aspects alone, it is a little more difficult. Here, the team benefits from certain levers of the brand without losing its own identity.
La Farigoulette – Hyères (83)
La Farigoulette, located in Hyères (Chemin de la Ritorte), is today well-known as a traditional garden center but also as a plant concept store combining decoration, landscaping and plants. The boss is above all a florist and you can find both points of sale on their website: https://rosaehyeres.com/farigoulette/.
The brand doesn't seem to be part of a large national network, which gives it complete freedom in its choices. This "freedom" is reflected in the decorative objects, the selection of pottery, and the boutique atmosphere. It's felt in the layout, the warm atmosphere, and the unique identity it offers visitors. With, of course, the omnipresent florist's touch!
On the French Riviera, where the horticultural offerings can be highly competitive, this decorative + plant-based positioning allows it to attract a clientele sensitive to aesthetics as much as to plants. The mixed format is one of the avenues that independents can explore to differentiate themselves from generalists. By becoming at once a place of sales, a place of inspiration, and a place of soul, this type of structure has not chosen the easy way out... Bravo!
At the Gardener’s Counter – Chaumont (52)
Au Comptoir du Jardinier, near Chaumont (52), is more precisely in Villiers-le-Sec. This entity is remarkable for its bold decorative structures and the architecture of the store itself. Everything is covered, including the nursery, which is rare in France.
This widespread coverage protects plants. It also offers customers a pleasant experience regardless of the weather conditions. The same principle applies to some garden centers in the Netherlands! And of course, it allows you to change the indoor atmosphere in any season.
It is managed independently or locally. What sets it apart is the size of the shelves, the comfort of the visit, and the mastery of the atmosphere. A symbol of what the independent can achieve when it dares to embrace architecture, scenography, and immersion, instead of limiting itself to a catalog background.
The Greenhouses of Mériot (10)
A very plant-based point of sale! Les Serres de Mériot are… in Mériot… you guessed it!
They are part of the Jardineries du Terroir (Landscape Gardens). Initially founded by the four Nalod's "musketeers," Serge, Jean-Luc, and the two Alains, the brand is now part of the Teract group.
And here, it's typically the spirit of the independent garden center with a touch of mutualization! Here, in my opinion, we find garden commerce at one of its best levels! A place that goes beyond simple transactions to become a plant showcase.
In a department like Aube, far from major urban centers, this type of structure can play a role as a local reference. Here, we organize events and demonstrations. We can even offer atmospheres that standardized brands can't necessarily replicate everywhere.
And then the green spaces are well-kept, maintained, and make you want to spend a little time there... Plus!
Independents, revealers of audacity and meaning?
When you walk through the aisles of trade shows, it's tempting to believe that large groups and structured distributors hold all the levers of the future. You can read here and there "that the garden center must change, that it will die if it does nothing..." all that...
It's true, like all businesses, and in all eras. Yes, the world is changing. Yes, technologies and tools are progressing, and faster and faster! Yes, we must adapt, it's a fact. And as soon as adaptation is underway, we will move on to another world, which will require a new adaptation... I know, it never stops!
But beyond these upheavals, we must find a common path. A garden point of sale that still meets consumers' aspirations:
- tradition
- terroir
- authenticity
- welcome
- kindness
- surprises
- local
- advice
Perhaps the self-employed have some solutions? Let's take a closer look!