T & T Seeds back in action

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This article was published 01/05/2020 (2257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A combination of factors took T & T Seeds offline temporarily from April 17 to 24.

However, owner Jarrett Davidson isn’t complaining as the main factor is an incredible jump in sales for the longtime Headingley business at 7724 Roblin Blvd.

He said the company, which is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its annual seed catalogue, experienced a sales boost of over 250 per cent above normal volume from mid-March to mid-April.

“Everybody is clamouring to plant gardens and grow their own food,” he said.

T & T staff start each season by estimating the amounts of all seeds to be advertised in the upcoming year’s catalogue and needed to meet forecasted customer demand. The catalogue, which features 1,275 products this year, is mailed out to customers across Canada in December and orders start coming in online, by phone, fax and in the mail in early January, with February typically being the busiest month. Trained staff process orders, fill seed packages and mail them out through Canada Post.

Davidson said the majority of seed orders are completed by the end of March, and T & T staff are able to switch their focus to filling orders for perishable nursery stock such as trees and shrubs and also to the millions of tiny plants growing in the company’s greenhouses.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s business process took an unexpected turn as gardeners turned to ordering seed and plants online, partly because it wasn’t clear until a few weeks ago whether or not Manitoba garden centres and nurseries could open to the public for spring business.

Davidson said COVID-19 fears and grocery store restrictions have also prompted people to think about becoming more self-sufficient and growing their own produce.

He added that seed companies across North America are being deluged with orders.

“There was even more demand than we ever predicted.”

While it is great to get new business, there is only a limited amount of space within T & T’s seed area and the need to social distance means that additional workers can’t be easily added. Training is also required for new employees as some experienced staff have already moved into working in the greenhouses that contain 17,000 square-feet of space.

“We have bulk seed in stock, but we have to pack it,” Davidson said.

To get through a backlog of orders, Davidson decided to put a halt on new orders first over the Easter weekend and then from April 17 to 24.

“We wanted to look after our existing customers first.”

Staff also used the week to get a thorough inventory done on the company’s perishable stock so they can accurately fill orders.

At a time when preparations are being made to have as many plants as possible ready for the traditional Mother’s Day weekend opening on May 9 and 10,  T & T staff also had to reconfigure the retail area in order to make it safe for customers abiding by social distancing. Directional arrows will guide in-store customers and they will also be given maps showing where they can find the items they seek.

“We have to create a shopping experience where people follow a one-way path,” Davidson said, adding that a team of up to a dozen greeters will help direct shoppers and sanitize carts and other high-touch areas.

“We had to do a lot of adaptation to make the customer experience safer.”

Curbside pick-up service for plants and landscaping materials will also be available starting mid-May.

Davidson said he expects seed sales to gradually taper off as customers begin buying live plants, but he doesn’t want to predict whether or not it will be a boom season for bedding plants as well.

“It’s difficult to predict what will happen in the next five weeks.”

For more information on T & T Seeds, see ttseeds.com