Helping People With Disabilities Engage the World - Horticultural Therapy

1. SEGUINWORKS
Garden Center
MARKETPLACE FEASIBILITY
STUDY
SEPTEMBER 2004
Prepared By:
David Pistrui, Ph.D.
John K. Thompson
Helping People With Disabilities Engage the World

2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
1 - INTRODUCTION 4
1.1 - SeguinWorks 4
1.2 - SeguinWorks Garden Center Development Effort Overview 4
1.3 - Garden Center MFS Objectives and Focus 5
1.4 - Business Ventures Overview 5
1.5 - Business Venture Overview Summary 6
2.0 - GARDEN CENTER 7
2.1 - National Consumer Characteristics and Buying Habits 7
2.2 - National Retail Sales through Major Channels 9
2.3 - Container Gardening – A Rapidly Growing Segment 10
2.4 - Bulbs over a Billion Dollars per year – A Surging Segment 12
2.5 - Local Market Economics 13
2.6 - Local Market Dynamics 15
2.7 – SRDS Data Overview 17
2.8 - Chicagoland Market (Cook, DuPage & Will Counties) 18
2.9 - SeguinWorks GC Dynamics 19
2.10 - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) 20
Assessment of SeguinWorks Auto Marketplace
2.11 - Current Market Size 21
2.12 – Garden Center Target Market 21
2.13 - Consumer Attitudes and Price Points 26
2.14 - Market Profitability & Growth Analysis 28
3.0 – SUMMARY 34
4.0 – CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS 35
Appendix A – Target Market Data: (SRDS, 2003): GC Consumers 37
© - Pistrui, Thompson – September 2004
1

3. List of Tables & Figures
Table 1 - Business Venture Overview 7
Table 2 - Household Purchasing by Retail Channel: 1996-2001 10
Table 3 - Total US Container Gardening Spending by Household 11
Table 4 - Consumer Segments Involved in Container Gardening 11
Table 5 - Household Purchasing of Flower Bulbs: 1996-2001 13
Table 6 - Household Purchasing of Flower Bulbs: 1996-2001 - Bulb Type 13
Figure 1 - Visual Depiction of Addressable Market Opportunities 15
Figure 2 – Potential Community Partners 16
Table 7 - GC Related Lifestyle Segments in Chicagoland 18
Table 8 – Garden Center SWOT Analysis 21
Table 9 – 2000 Population of Cicero, Berwyn,
Oak Park, Forest Park and North Riverside 22
Table 10 - All Counties – Total GC buyers by Lifestyle Segments (HH) 23
Table 11 – All Counties – Aggregate Population and Households 23
Table 12 - Cook County – GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) 24
Table 13 - DuPage County – GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) 25
Table 14 - Will County – GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) 26
Table 15 – Do-it-Yourself Indoor & Outdoor Lawn
and Garden Market & Growth Analysis 29
Table 16 - Do-it-Yourself Indoor & Outdoor Lawn
and Garden Local Market Growth Analysis 30
Table 17 – GC Sales and market Share Estimates 31
Table 18 – Target Scenarios for Growth & Profitability 33
Table 19 - GC Job Creation and Employment Opportunities* 33
2

4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Seguin Services Inc. created SeguinWorks as a small, entrepreneurial business
venture. SeguinWorks is comprised of a unique group of 3 businesses the Auto
Marketplace (AM), Lawn Care & Snow Removal, and Garden Center (GC).
This document, the GC Market Feasibility Study (MFS), follows and extends the
work previously completed regarding the AM. In March 2004, the AM MFS was
completed and in July 2004 the AM Strategic Marketing Plan (SMP) was finished.
Preliminary work clearly shows that the GC and the AM are solidly positioned to
address SeguinWork’s 3 primary objectives:
1) create jobs for Seguin clients,
2) operate on at least a breakeven basis with the goal of earning a profit, and
3) undertake and successfully complete a focused Community Economic
Development (CED) Project(s).
Seguin began to experiment with a horticultural based program in 2001. After
nearly a year, Seguin started a regularly scheduled horticultural based program
in conjunction with The Horticulture Connection (THC). THC is a group of
professionals in the field of horticulture therapy dedicated to improving the quality
of life for disabled individuals through therapeutic interventions. THC provided
educational, recreational and therapeutic experiences in which all participants
are actively involved in healthful, rehabilitative, collaborative and often nurturing
pursuits.
The resulting positive experience for Seguin’s clients and potential opportunity to
establish a significant and beneficial GC operation are two of the motivating
factors for the executive team at Seguin and SeguinWorks to commission and
complete the GC MFS.
The intention of the GC MFS is to provide a clear understanding of the market
potential for the CG and to delineate where in the local market ecosystem the GC
can best serve the community and provide a nurturing and positive environment
for Seguin clients.
3

5. This report is copyrighted property of John K. Thompson and Dr. David Pistrui.
This report is one deliverable in a series of strategic documents and studies completed for Seguin
Works.
Any unauthorized use, photocopying, or electronic distribution will be viewed as an infringement
of the author’s rights and copyright.
Similar studies and research work are available from MSci, Inc.
Please contact MSci at info@mktng-sciences.com for more details.
© 2004, 2005 MSci, Inc.
4