"Garden center giveaway program boosts sales and develops customer relationships"

Monrovia’s 2023 Bee a Winner pollinator plant giveaway was bigger, better, and a buzzing success. Now is the perfect time to start planning spring programs by securing your spot in the 2024 pollinator plant giveaway. Last year, Monrovia partnered with more than 200 garden centers across the country to promote the importance of pollinator-attracting plants, giving away select varieties during Pollinator Week. 2023 brought a big jump in retailer participants, with 206 garden centers taking part, up from 35 in 2022. Consumer participation expanded as well, with more than 20,000 entries this year. More than 70% of those entering opted into their local garden center email list.

The giveaway program is easy for both retailers and their customers. Garden centers that placed a minimum order of Monrovia’s pollinator-friendly plants received ten additional 1-gallon plants, for free, to use as customer prizes. The orders included a poster with an entry form QR Code and an online entry form for home gardeners to enter. For a chance to win, local shoppers simply scanned the QR code to access the entry form. During the process, they were given the option to join their local garden center’s email list, giving the IGC an easy and effective way to strengthen customer relationships. Monrovia made the process even easier by managing all the entries and choosing local winners specific to participating garden centers.

“The pollinator garden trend just keeps growing,” says Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer at Monrovia. “Our consumer research shows home gardeners are interested in learning about pollinator plant collections. This giveaway gives them that opportunity, shows them a diverse option of plants, and encourages the purchase of more than just one variety. It also connects customers directly to the retailer for future outreach.”