The trickle of melting snow tantalizes us with the promise of a new season.
If you are like most Canadians, you can’t shed your outerwear layers fast enough.
It’s also the perfect time to consider shedding the high-maintenance, possibly lackluster lot décor of last year.
How a facility presents to the approaching customer, how it stands out from the surrounding competition, and how it becomes a destination and an experience, reflective of the cutting edge product, should all be part of the planning.
Whether people see your dealership from the highway or from a main street, make their first impression count.
Curb appeal is important. The customer’s perception about your product, your business and the experience they anticipate having with both, starts with their first glimpse.
Dealers spend a lot of effort to draw people into the facility. Ironically, with all this effort, the lot itself is often a forgotten sea of asphalt with thermoplastic lines and the token nod to city-mandated green islands.
With many dealerships sitting on approximately two acres of land, is this not a wasted opportunity?
Let’s look at the steps you can take to make your whole lot part of a continuous, positive customer experience.
Visibility is paramount. You’ve invested in a beautiful showroom and don’t want it hidden behind a jungle of grass and trees. Instead, opt for low-growing plants.
The lot itself is often a forgotten sea of asphalt with thermoplastic lines and the token nod to city-mandated green islands
Certain plants require minimal pruning to stay out of the sightlines of your facility. There is a sedum species for virtually every hardiness zone. These low, dense, mat-forming plants come in a variety of shapes and colours. They don’t grow more than one to six inches in height and require less water.
The fact that they are self-propagating means one less task to deal with in the following years.
If you are after a monolithic ground cover that is lower maintenance than grass, a mass planting of Winter Creeper (Euonymus fortune) may be the answer. It has a dominating personality that tends to choke surrounding plants and weeds, and creates a clean, dense ground cover.
Repetition is the difference between chaos and organic design. Repeated elements create a cohesive design. If you require multiple plants to fill an area, consider purchasing in odd numbers and minimal varieties.
Elijah Blue (Festuca glauca) is an ornamental, drought-resistant grass with a presence that can stand alone or be planted in groups to create around eight to 12 inches of ground cover.
Directional planting can guide focus and movement into and throughout areas of the lot using plants of different heights. Planting with gradients that merge into hardscaping can assist a driver in locating your entry on a busy road, without the use of additional signs.
A similar approach to retail merchandising, placing items in a customer’s path can direct them away from the shortest distance, instead taking them on the route you’ve prescribed.
This can also be used to create moments of intrigue, catching a glimmer of a display, but requiring a visit into the lot to fully appreciate the scene.
Using low-growing evergreens like a Dwarf Norway Spruce can create year-round, low-maintenance borders that can alter and redirect flow.
Plants that require little maintenance sweeten the deal. Instead of grass, which requires a fair amount of irrigating, consider alternative plant material in areas that have low foot traffic.
Planting Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) or clover crops in sun-covered areas will allow you to save money on irrigation costs and lawn maintenance. These plants spread over time and are best bordered by hardscaping, making them ideal for the edges of your lot, contained by curbing.
Sourcing native plants that are drought-resistant and can hold up against the climate of your lot, be it wind, sun, or excessive water run-off, will allow for years of minimal upkeep and maximum aesthetics.
Using plants as more than just green space to meet city requirements can assist in flow and merchandising.
As the thaw continues, take stock of more than just your inventory levels. Consider the potential in green areas of your lot for best curb appeal, and start planning now.
You will reap the rewards for many seasons to come.
