5 New Year’s Resolutions for Garden Center Owners in 2026

Happy New Year!

As we step into 2026, it’s a good moment to pause, reflect, and reset. Another season is behind us—full of lessons, surprises, and opportunities—and a new one is already taking shape.

Independent garden center owners continue to face real challenges: changing customer expectations, rising costs, staffing pressures, and the pace of technology. The stores that thrive aren’t doing everything—they’re doing the right things, consistently.

Here are a few New Year’s resolutions we’re hearing from successful garden center owners as they plan for the year ahead:

1. “I want to communicate more consistently with my customers.”
Customers still want to hear from you—but only if the message is relevant and regular. Promotions, events, plant tips, reminders, and education all work better when communication is planned instead of sporadic.

2. “I want to strengthen customer loyalty and retention.”
New customers are great, but repeat customers are the foundation of a healthy business. More owners are focusing on loyalty programs, member-only offers, and meaningful engagement that keeps customers coming back season after season.

3. “I want marketing that actually drives results.”
Marketing works best when everything is connected—email, in-store signage, social, website, and promotions all reinforcing the same message. Clear campaigns outperform random posts every time.

4. “I want technology that saves me time.”
Technology should make your business easier to run, not harder. The right tools reduce manual work, simplify communication, and help small teams accomplish more—especially during peak season.

5. “I want to be proactive, not reactive.”
The strongest stores plan ahead. They map out campaigns, promotions, and messaging early so they’re ready when the season arrives—not scrambling when it’s already here.

At Sunrise Marketing, everything we do is built around helping independent garden centers achieve these goals. From our mobile app platform and Grow Campaign to the AI-powered tools we continue to develop, our focus remains the same: helping you compete smarter and build long-term customer relationships.

If any of these resolutions resonate with you, we’d love to continue the conversation in person. Winter show season is the perfect time to talk strategy, share ideas, and plan for the year ahead.

See you at the shows.

Here’s to a strong, profitable, and well-planned 2026 🌱