On an idyllic stretch of the Southern California coast where $5-million properties are the norm and a luxury car sits in every driveway, there is a 7-acre home-and-garden center called Roger’s Gardens that has gained the trust and business of elite customers who know and expect the best. Roger’s multifaceted marketing strategy has helped make it the premier spot in Southern California for celebrities, socialites and corporate CEOs to find everything they need to outfit their outdoor retreats.

Roger’s Gardens opened 30 years ago in the upscale community of Corona del Mar, Calif., just three blocks from the Pacific Ocean. It has changed and grown over the years, finding its niche as the neighborhood home-and-garden lifestyle center with world-class service and products. “As a retailer, you have to know who you are and who you serve,” Christopher Nichols, lifestyle and production manager for Roger’s Gardens, explains. “That’s the core of any solid marketing plan.”

In a place like Newport Beach, where image is everything, Roger’s Gardens has created an image for itself that truly reflects its customers: style, elegance and simplicity. Its lush outdoor grounds are reminiscent of a tranquil garden with small rolling hills, inlets and grottoes. Trees shade the European-inspired decor, and water bubbles from fountains and waterfalls. “We are an experiential retailer,” Nichols says. Everywhere you turn, there are lifestyle vignettes that visually mix patio furniture, home accessories, pottery and plants to give guests new ideas for their homes.

Nichols explains that visual merchandising drives sales, and that Roger’s Gardens capitalizes on that fact. It has a full-time team of visual mer chandisers working seven days a week to keep its world-class displays fresh and inviting. It is not uncommon for a Roger’s Gardens’ customer to purchase an entire furniture vignette right off the showroom floor, easily spending $50,000. Roger’s only sells products from high-end manufacturers, including Gloster, Lane Venture, O.W. Lee and Treasure Garden. It also offers an unmatched selection of outdoor fabrics that personalize every piece. “Customers know they are getting something unique when they shop at Roger’s,” Nichols says.

One does not typically think of service as a marketing strategy, but Roger’s regards it as an inseparable part of its plan. “We are in the apex of Orange County, surrounded by millionaires who shop at Chanel, Gucci and Hermès,” Nichols says. “They don’t buy based on price; they buy based on service.” From the second when customers walk into the store, Roger’s Gardens’ staff is poised to provide them with an exceptional shopping experience. The company pours time, energy and money into training its managers and sales staff so that they can exceed guests’ expectations at every level. According to Nichols, Roger’s Gardens has borrowed the motto of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., LLC: We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. This has become the company’s service mantra. Taking service one step further, members of the store’s lifestyle team make complimentary in-home visits before and after large sales to ensure that customers are completely happy with their purchases. “In the end, we build real relationships with our customers, so they shop with us for life,” Nichols says.

Crowds of outdoor enthusiasts pack into the Roger’s Gardens’ outdoor amphitheatre for eco-awareness events such as the California Friendly Garden Contest (above center).

One might think that an upscale operation like Roger’s Gardens would have an extensive advertising plan; like many retailers in luxury markets, however, the company relies on its clients to spread the word about it. While it regularly runs image ads in local publications for visibility, it has seen its biggest return from the oldest form of advertising: word of mouth. “When people have a memorable experience at our store, they tell their friends,” Nichols says. Roger’s Gardens works hard to give customers many memorable experiences, not just while they shop, but through community outreach and events as well. Roger’s Gardens has positioned itself as a retailer that shares its customers’ highly visible community involvement. “We call it goodwill marketing,” Nichols says. The store hosts fundraisers and charity events in its beautiful garden showroom for local causes and keeps none of the proceeds. “It’s not always about making a sale,” Nichols says. “It’s our chance to give back to the community and to show residents that their neighborhood home-and-garden center cares. In the long run, it comes back to us a hundredfold.”

Roger’s Gardens also conducts a full lineup of seminars and events throughout the year, including everything from “How to Host a Perfect Garden Tea” to “Gardening Organically” and “Art in the Garden.” This year, it held its first annual California Friendly Garden Contest, which was a competition for the most beautiful drought-resistant garden in the community. Voting was done online and the winners were announced at a gala event in the store’s outdoor amphitheater. Roger’s Gardens also holds exclusive invitation-only shopping days for customers who spend at least $25,000 per year. These velvet-rope events give Roger’s Gardens the chance to pamper its best customers. Guests sip champagne and enjoy hors d’oeuvres while they shop at their leisure, sans crowds. “It’s our way of saying, ‘Thanks for being loyal customers,’ and it makes them feel special,” Nichols says.

Roger’s most successful marketing event, by far, is its annual Christ–mas event, which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year. From October through December, the store is transformed into a Christ–mas wonderland, with more than 20 themed trees. Each lavish tree has 1,500 to 2,000 color-coordinated ornaments and is surrounded by merchandise that coordinates with the tree’s theme. It is an over-the-top experience that gets bigger every year as people bring back their friends and family. Roger’s Gar–dens does a staggering 50 percent of its yearly business during the 90-day event.

Nichols admits that Roger’s marketing efforts require lots of time and work, but says that they are worth it. Sales have risen 2 to 3 percent this year, which is substantial, considering that outdoor products alone are bringing in $2 million to $3 million. “Our customers can sense that we are passionate about what we do,” Nichols says. “When you are passionate about something, it’s contagious. In the end, that translates into loyal customers who won’t shop anywhere else.”