Homewood, a 39-year-old operation, focuses on its quality of plants and excellent customer service to keep customers coming back. The location feature more than 50,000 square feet of greenhouses, garden center and shrub retail area, some underneath the natural shade of native North Carolina pine trees. About 46,000 square feet are under cover via a Nexus-built Atrium glasshouse with high ceilings and concrete floors.
This year, Homewood has implemented a Relational Retailing philosophy.
"We have begun training our employees in this approach, which is not selling to a customer, but relating to them where they are at," writes owner Joe Stoffregen. "It is about relationships, connection and authenticity. Relational retailing requires us to know our customers, their lifestyles, where they live and what are their time limitations, priorities,etc.
"The customer will choose to shop with us because they value the relationship that they have with us. The value we place on our relationship with our customers is directly proportional to the loyalty that they will have to our company. It is not about trying to understand how to compete against the box stores. It is about understanding what it is about our business that the box stores cannot replicate. This philosophy and approach is a work in progress at Homewood Nursery, but we know we're on to something big."
