"The future is online, even for our industry, and we must protect that true experts and experience are accessible to the new consumer," states Don Eaton, Chief Executive Officer of Bower & Branch. Bower & Branch is an ecommerce platform specialized in selling mature sized trees and plants from growers direct to consumer. Recently, the company acquired Tilly, a virtual landscape design service that creates custom design plans for homeowners and landscape contractors. In this article, he gives insight into Bower & Branch's future vision, and how the merger with Tilly fits into this picture.
3D render of a Tilly design in Georgia
Towards an industry of plant and e-commerce experts
In 2017, the Eaton family founded Bower & Branch from their 175-acre farm in Leesport, Pennsylvania. During the recession of 2008, they studied the industry and found that online shopping was on the rise. At that time, it was an undefined space in the green industry, and according to Bower & Branch it still is.
At Bower & Branch, they find that there are many opportunities to seize in the field of e-commerce. What's more, they find that growers and retailers should develop more expertise in this field to be well-prepared for the future. "Our industry has long been underserved because we are an industry of plant experts, not ecommerce experts. Growers have been great leaders for our industry for generations and this must never change. Yet, we must add intelligent and practical ecommerce and digital marketing on top of all those years of hard work to remain relevant, accessible, and to be found online."
Bower & Branch deliveries
As part of their efforts to achieve this, Bower & Branch decided to focus more on services. "Landscape design and installation are critical services for our customers. 'Time' is the new price, adding services reduces that price for the consumer. This is evident across the consumer world. Especially so among design customers, they are expected to become customers of installation services and plant fulfillment at a much higher average order value than our current customer base."
According to the company, up until the merger with Tilly, Bower & Branch was very limited in their ability to offer expert design services when asked by their customer base. For this reason, through the spring of 2023 Bower & Branch began to search for an online design strategic relationship. This search ended in the acquisition of Tilly. "With the acquisition of Tilly Design, we will now grow and expand consumer services to include hardscaping, tree removal and grounds maintenance in addition to our design and install services. Our Pro Network of existing cross docks, consumer planting and delivery services will also be expanded after years of testing."
A Tilly planting plan that clients receive to show them their landscape design plans
Expansion plans, partnerships, and female leadership
The Bower & Branch team believes that there lie some great opportunities ahead for their business model. Overseas expansion is not ruled out. "We have been contacted with some interest in repeating the model overseas. We plan to complete our expansion within the lower 48 states and then will most likely begin to seek partners in Canada before looking for any additional opportunities. However, one thing we know is this, opportunities surround us in so many ways due to the model."
They are convinced that others in the industry can equally benefit from it. "We are seeking growers in all markets, all sized growers who desire to engage ecommerce well, with improved grower margins. This is a necessity for the years ahead to overcome very serious challenges in developing reliable labor and customers. In addition, we look for partners in all product spaces -plant care products, hardscape, soils & bagged products, pottery, outdoor furniture etc. The first order is fun, volume comes with success only, one order, one customer at a time."
Aside from that, he expects that new forms of leadership will bring new business opportunities. "The future of our industry being online does not only require and demands an intelligent and holistic ecommerce model, it also demands a new form of leadership. We are excited about the younger generation to take charge in a fast-changing industry that is hungry for new leadership to help define the future. In the female leadership we have at Bower & Branch, we see skill sets that have great potential when it comes to empathy, inspiration, and creativity. It can really help to move the green industry forward."
For more information:
Bower & Branch
bowerandbranch.com