Black Friday Tips and Tricks for Garden Centres

As the festive season approaches, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity for garden centres to plant the seeds of success. While the event is traditionally dominated by fashion and electronics, garden retailers can also thrive, with the right offers, smart stock planning and retail technology to support smooth operations.

Here are some practical Black Friday tips for garden centres and how FM Retail’s solutions can help you grow sales both in-store and online.

1. Prepare your promotions, stock and checkout systems

Black Friday is all about timing and preparation. Plan your offers early, whether that’s 20% off outdoor furniture, free compost with greenhouse purchases or bundle deals for plants and planters, and ensure your retail systems can handle the demand.

How FM Retail helps:

• Our Retail EPOS System makes checkout quick and reliable — perfect for busy sale days or seasonal peaks. It supports loyalty schemes, discount codes and multiple payment options, including chip & PIN, contactless and QR codes. Ideal for selling by weight or volume (like compost or bird seed) and managing multi-buy offers on pots or tools.
• Our Stock Management System gives real-time visibility across your store, warehouse and online channels, helping you avoid stockouts and disappointed customers. Easily track fast-sellers like bedding plants or seeds, monitor slower lines and stay on top of seasonal stock like outdoor furniture.
• Our Warehouse Management System keeps backstock and fulfilment organised, especially useful for collection or delivery orders. From compost and furniture to click and collect plants, it ensures staff know exactly what’s in stock and where to find it.

Pro tip: Check your inventory now, schedule automated stock alerts and make sure staff are trained on any Black Friday promotions or system updates.

2. Sell in-store, online and everywhere in between

Modern shoppers browse, compare and buy across multiple channels — and garden centre retailers are no exception. Offering flexibility, such as click and collect or order in store, ensures you never miss a sale.

How FM Retail helps:

• eCommerce integration syncs your website with your EPOS and stock system, so customers always see accurate stock levels — perfect for plants, tools and seasonal items.
• Our Order in Store feature allows staff to place orders directly for customers, even for large or out-of-stock items, to be delivered or collected later.
• Additional integrations connect with major platforms, streamlining your processes for true omnichannel visibility.

Pro tip: Promote your Black Friday offers online and in-store simultaneously and make your fulfilment options clear — “Click now, collect in-store” or “Order today for 3-5 day delivery.”

3. Use customer data to personalise your Black Friday campaigns

The more you know about your customers, the better you can target your promotions. Use purchase history and loyalty data to send tailored messages such as, “You loved our summer garden range — here’s 15% off winter planting accessories!”

How FM Retail helps:

• Our Customer Data Capture tool collects valuable insights from both online and in-store purchases.
• Combined with our Retail EPOS System, you can reward loyal shoppers with early access to seasonal sales, plant previews or exclusive member discounts.

Pro tip: Segment your database and send targeted Black Friday emails or SMS campaigns. Personalised offers lead to higher conversion rates — and returning customers.

4. Optimise your stock and logistics ahead of the rush

Nothing ruins a sale faster than running out of stock. Use data-driven insights to forecast demand and prepare for peak shopping days.

How FM Retail helps:

• Our Stock Management System tracks bestsellers in real time, helping you restock popular plants or transfer items between sites with ease.
• Our Warehouse Management System streamlines picking, packing and dispatch, keeping fulfilment smooth for deliveries and click and collect orders.
• Our Retail Management System ties everything together, giving you a clear view of performance across your shop floor, warehouse and online store.

Pro tip: Identify your top 10 SKUs ahead of Black Friday, ensure stock is evenly distributed and have a clear plan for returns and customer support.

5. Streamline your checkout and payment experience

Black Friday shoppers expect quick, hassle-free payments. A slow till or failed transaction can turn excitement into frustration.

How FM Retail helps:

• We offer fully integrated Payment Solutions that simplify checkout and enhance the customer experience.
• Real-time stock integration at the till prevents “out of stock” surprises on popular plants or compost, keeping customers happy and queues moving.

Pro tip: Test your tills, barcode scanners and card machines before the event, and ensure staff know how to process all payment types quickly.

6. Follow up after the sale to build long-term loyalty

Black Friday shouldn’t just be about discounts; it’s an opportunity to nurture future customer relationships. Use post-sale communications to turn one-time buyers into loyal shoppers.

How FM Retail helps:

• Track who bought what, so you can send personalised follow-up messages (“Thank you for your purchase — here’s 10% off your next visit!”).
• Analyse which promotions performed best with insightful reports and refine your strategy for next year.

Pro tip: Send a follow-up email a few days after Black Friday thanking customers, sharing care tips for their purchases and promoting upcoming festive or spring events.

Grow your garden centre’s Black Friday success

With the right combination of planning, customer insight and smart retail technology, your garden centre can turn Black Friday from a single-day sale into a season of growth.

FM Retail’s powerful solutions give you everything you need to manage your sales, stock and customers effortlessly across every channel.

Fill out this form to arrange a demo or call 0330 024 5014 to speak to our team today.