The Materials That Make It Matter: Choosing the Right Pottery for Retail Success

Why Material Matters in Garden Center Retail

Pottery is more than a container—it's a statement. The materials you stock in your garden center influence everything from customer perception to sales performance. At Habitudes, we help independent garden centers choose the right materials for their market, climate, and merchandising strategy.

With decades of product development and global sourcing experience, we guide our partners in selecting stoneware, glazed pottery, corten steel, cement, slipcast ceramics, polyfiber, and angelique wood that aligns with both form and function. The result? Retail collections that move product and elevate brand.

Know Your Material, Know Your Customer

Each material serves a purpose. When selected strategically, it tells a story that resonates with the right buyer:

• Stoneware: Durable, organic, and timeless. A favorite for classic garden aesthetics and colder climates.

• Glazed Pottery: Bold color and finish options for standout merchandising displays.

• Cement: Earthy, stable, and textural—perfect for modern and minimal aesthetics.

• Corten Steel: A sculptural option that evolves over time, developing a warm, weathered patina.

• Slipcast Ceramics: Precision shapes with artisan appeal, ideal for tabletop and small-scale planters.

• Polyfiber: Lightweight, shatterproof, and highly versatile—perfect for moveable displays and interior use.

• Angelique Wood: Tropical hardwood with luxurious feel and weather resistance for outdoor furniture or staging.

Choosing the right mix can elevate your entire product narrative.

Climate, Aesthetic, and Retail Strategy

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all sourcing. Instead, we help you build material assortments that consider:

• Your local climate: frost-resistant pottery for northern regions, lightweight options for warmer, high-traffic areas.

• Your store aesthetic: modern, rustic, coastal, or formal—each material leans into a style that supports your brand.

• Your merchandising strategy: feature heavy cement pieces to anchor garden vignettes or use polyfiber urns to guide customer flow through displays.

Let Design and Durability Work Together

One of the most overlooked aspects of product success is how materials perform under real-world conditions. We focus on marrying beauty with utility—so our corten steel planters can serve as sculptural anchors, and our slipcast ceramics can withstand regular watering cycles without compromising finish.

It’s not just about how something looks on the shelf, but how it holds up in your customer’s hands—and garden.

The Habitudes Edge

We curate more than products—we curate retail experiences. Our direct import collections aren’t pulled from generic catalogs; they’re crafted with purpose, guided by materials that help tell your store’s story.

Ready to build a smarter, more compelling inventory? Contact us to start designing your material-driven pottery program.