This magazine, and others like it are free to our customers. We receive them from our suppliers to hand out to our customers. They are a fantastic tool for us. As soon as we realize that a customer has an interest in the subject matter they get one of the magazines. Our suppliers even have a retail priced catalog that we are able to give to the customers. They often call in orders from the catalog. Why is it that the indoor-hydroponic community is so far ahead of the rest of the garden industry when it comes to customer support? The free magazines are of course paid for by the various advertisers in the magazine. That doesn't change the fact that the magazines are very interesting, with articles about gardening that would shame many others. The last issue of Maximum-Yield contained articles titled, "Successful Cymbidium Growing", "Next generation of LEDs", "Moisture Maters", "10 Steps to Gardening withNature","Grow Your Own Wheat Grass Indoors", and "Worm Power!From Waste to Worthwhile".
Where is the rest of the gardening industry? Why are the growers and other suppliers we deal with not doing this same thing? Where is the free garden magazine that garden centers can hand out to customers? Our information as well as other suppliers information is listed by state in the back of the magazine. So after becoming inspired by something you read you can quickly find out where to buy the materials for the project.
No mater what you think about hydroponics, or indoor gardening, the indoor gardening industry is doing it right. There is intense competition amongst vendors and retailers, yet the message still get's out. Every hydroponic shop I visit, and there are well over a dozen in our immediate area, have these magazines, handouts, posters, etc. The answer on how to attract more people, including the younger gardener to our garden centers is being answered by the indoor gardening industry.
When will we see younger customers walking around wearing tee-shirts advertising their favorite nursery, garden center , or product? When will we see people hanging cool posters in the rec room with fantastic artwork concerning their favorite garden brand? Sure the industry has a certain "bad boy" reputation, which is what makes it so popular with the younger crowd. So did organic gardening in the 1970's. My how things have changed.