The Garden Center Group

What The Garden Center Group does

The Garden Center Group is a member-based alliance organization serving more than 130 independent garden centers across North America from its headquarters in Acworth, Georgia. Unlike buying groups that focus on aggregated purchasing power, The Group provides business solutions aimed at helping independent operators increase sales, improve operations, and retain more profit through benchmarking, consulting, and peer knowledge sharing.

The organization's core offerings center on the Weekly Department Review (WDR), a standardized benchmarking service that tracks weekly sales and margin data across 27 product categories and key retail metrics including Average Items per Transaction, Average Sale, Transaction Counts, Labor to Sales Ratio, and Inventory to Sales Ratio. This is complemented by the Annual Profit & Loss Study, now in its 20th year and described as the longest-running and most comprehensive financial benchmarking study for garden centers in North America. Members access these resources and an online community through the GroupSpace portal. Additional service offerings include visual merchandising training (Displaying Confidence), POS data consulting (VMX Consulting & Data Management), and integrated brand and marketing services delivered through The Design Works and partner agencies.

The Garden Center Group operates a two-sided revenue model. Garden center owners pay membership dues for access to the benchmarking tools, consulting network, and peer community, while a curated ecosystem of service providers and sponsors (including Prides Corner Farms, Bailey Nurseries, Star Roses and Plants, Plant Development Services, and Epicor) provides additional products, services, and sponsorship funding. The organization is privately held as an LLC, has 1-10 employees, and is controlled by its member base rather than external investors. It distributes primarily through direct membership, the service provider network, and participation in major horticulture tradeshows such as Cultivate, MANTS, and its own annual Fall Event.

Name

The Garden Center Group

Legal name

The Garden Center Group, LLC

Website

https://thegardencentergroup.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Garden Center Group is a member-based alliance serving 130+ independent garden centers across North America, providing financial benchmarking, consulting, and peer networking through its Weekly Department Review, Annual Profit & Loss Study, and curated service provider ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Center Retail Consulting & Benchmarking

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Garden center consulting
• Retail benchmarking services
• Horticulture financial benchmarking
• Visual merchandising consulting
• Independent garden retailing

Headquarters

HQ city

Acworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership/Subscription Services: Garden centers pay membership fees to join The Garden Center Group network, gaining access to benchmarking tools, expert consulting, peer community, and the Annual Profit & Loss Study.
2. Professional Services: Consulting and specialized services offered through a network of Service Providers including marketing, visual merchandising, greenhouse management, and financial consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Garden Center Group is a member-based alliance that helps independent garden centers increase sales, improve operations, and retain more profit. It delivers the Weekly Department Review (WDR) — a weekly benchmarking service using a standardized chart of accounts covering 27 product categories — the Annual Profit & Loss Study (now in its 20th year), and the GroupSpace member portal. Unlike a buying group, it focuses on business solutions and provides access to a curated network of 130+ garden center peers and specialist consultants across growing, IPM, marketing, merchandising, HR, and succession planning.

Product overview

The Garden Center Group is a network and consulting organization for independent garden centers offering a suite of business solutions including the Weekly Department Review (WDR) benchmarking service covering 27 product categories and key retail metrics, the Annual Profit & Loss Study (now in its 20th year of financial benchmarking), and the GroupSpace member portal. Additional specialized offerings include Displaying Confidence (visual merchandising training), VMX Consulting & Data Management (POS data services), and Integrated Brand & Marketing Services. Unlike a buying group that focuses on purchasing power, The Garden Center Group focuses on business solutions designed to help garden centers increase sales, improve operations, and retain more profit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Department Review (WDR) A weekly benchmarking service where member garden centers share sales and margin data on a standardized chart of accounts covering 27 product categories, plus key retail metrics including Sales, Average Items per Transaction, Average Sale, Transaction Counts, Labor to Sales Ratio, and Inventory to Sales Ratio. Built for independent garden center operators seeking consistent financial visibility and peer comparison.
• Annual Profit & Loss Study An annual financial benchmarking study now in its 20th year, described as the longest-running and most comprehensive study of its kind in North America for garden centers. Provides benchmarking data to help garden center operators make solid financial decisions.
• GroupSpace The member portal and online community platform for The Garden Center Group where members can access resources, participate in discussions, and access group services.
• Displaying Confidence A visual merchandising training and community experience designed specifically for independent garden centers, teaching foundational merchandising skills and self-leadership to help stores feel more inspiring, shoppable, and profitable. Created by Rachel Reynolds of Birds Eye Visual Merchandising.
• Winter Produce for Profit Program A consulting program helping garden centers with greenhouse-growing capabilities develop winter produce programs to keep staff working year-round, avoid re-hiring and training each spring, and maintain profitability during off-season months.
• VMX Consulting & Data Management Point-of-sale data consulting services helping independent garden centers leverage POS customer data effectively, with extensive knowledge of VMX and other POS systems, focusing on best practices for data management and inventory optimization.
• Integrated Brand & Growth Marketing Services Comprehensive marketing services including consulting, brand development, advertising campaigns, print and web design, video production, digital marketing, and data analysis tailored for independent garden centers, offered through The Design Works.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% EBITDA achieved by Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery (member case study)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Prides Corner FarmscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWholesale nursery and sponsor partner providing plant products to garden centers. Prides Corner Farms serves as a Partner for Success within The Garden Center Group network, offering flexible, responsive wholesale services with same-week delivery guarantees.
• Star Roses and PlantscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBreeder and brand licensor for Knock Out Roses, Drift Roses, and other branded plant varieties. Star Roses is a sponsor partner whose products are marketed through The Garden Center Group network to member garden centers.
• Bailey NurseriescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium plant brand company with brands including Endless Summer Hydrangeas, First Editions, and Easy Elegance Roses. Bailey Nurseries is a sponsor partner providing branded plant products to the garden center network.
• Plant Development Services (PDS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlant brand development company managing Encore Azalea, Southern Living Plant Collection, and Sunset Plant Collection. PDS is a sponsor partner bringing branded plant programs to garden center members.
• EpicorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise software provider offering retail management solutions. Epicor sponsors The Garden Center Group and provides technology resources including POS systems and business intelligence tools for garden center members.
• Red Chalk StudiossupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic creative and marketing agency partner to Steve Kendall's The Design Works. Red Chalk Studios provides brand-focused marketing services including brand evaluation, strategy, design, and implementation for garden center clients.
• Service Providers (Various)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork of independent consultants providing specialized services to members including visual merchandising (Rachel Reynolds/Birds Eye VM), greenhouse management (Vic Vanik), marketing (Steve Kendall/The Design Works), and other professional services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Proven Winners: Plant brand marketing cooperative of breeders and growers supplying branded plant programs marketed through independent garden centers. Comparable ecosystem partner competing for IGC mindshare alongside TGCG.
• GIE Media (Lawn & Garden Retailer): Trade publisher covering the IGC and lawn/garden retail segment with editorial content, industry data, and events. Adjacent as an industry information provider to the same audience TGCG serves.
• Ball Horticultural Company: Major breeder and producer of ornamental plant varieties supplying IGCs and other retail channels across North America. Ecosystem supplier into the same customer base TGCG serves.
• Spring Meadow Nursery: Wholesale shrub breeder and Proven Winners partner supplying branded plant varieties to IGCs. Adjacent supplier whose branded plant programs travel through the same garden center channel TGCG supports.

Direct peers

• Master Nursery Garden Centers: A buying group and marketing alliance serving independent garden centers across the US with branded plant programs, marketing support, and operational services. Highly comparable to TGCG's IGC member-network model.
• AmericanHort: National trade association representing breeders, growers, retailers, and allied businesses across the horticultural industry. Comparable as an industry-level membership and benchmarking organization serving the same IGC ecosystem.
• Independent Garden Center Show (IGC Show): Annual industry event gathering IGC owners, vendors, and service providers. Comparable as a focal networking and content channel for the same independent garden center audience TGCG serves.

Broad incumbents

• True Value Company: Hardware retailer cooperative serving independent retailers with buying, marketing, and operational support. Useful comparable for the retail-alliance business model applied to a different vertical.
• Do it Best Corp. Hardware and home improvement retailer cooperative serving thousands of independent member stores. Another example of the cooperative/alliance structure TGCG operates within, though at significantly greater scale.
• Ace Hardware: The largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world, providing independent operators with collective purchasing, marketing, and services. Comparable as a broader retail-cooperative model analogous to TGCG's member-network approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGardenCenterGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garden-center-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Garden Center Group