Turning a Problem into an Opportunity to Grow

A case on how a Perth landscape supply business recovers from declining sales to 1,097% Growth

When major public infrastructure projects are announced, few consider the unintended impact on nearby small businesses. In Perth, one landscape supplies yard experienced this firsthand. Beginning in late 2018, road realignments and construction for the new Train Station made access to the business difficult. Regular customers struggled to enter the landscape supplies yard; many eventually choosing easier alternatives. 

The business, once stable and well-supported by its local community, saw noticeable sales declines. By 2020, it was clear the situation wasn’t improving on its own. The physical barriers were real, and waiting for construction to finish wasn’t a viable recovery strategy. 

A Pivotal Shift Toward Digital 

In May 2021, the business decided to take an approach that many traditional, yard-based retailers hesitate to attempt to turn their website into a functioning ecommerce platform and engaged in a coordinated digital marketing strategy. 

This change wasn’t just about selling products online. It was about making the business visible again at a time when its physical presence had been disrupted. The goal was simple: 

If customers couldn’t easily reach the yard, the yard needed to reach the customers.

What the Data Shows 

Over the years, the numbers reveal a clear shift. 

Website traffic increased sharply. 

From roughly 15,000 website visits in 2021 to about 125,000 in 2025. That is a substantial increase of more than 700% growth, and suggests that digital marketing succeeded in restoring the business’s visibility in the local market. 

Online sales grew even more dramatically. 

Starting from $67K in 2021 and rising to $802K by 2025, the ecommerce platform clearly established itself as a reliable revenue channel. An increase of over 1,000% (10x) over this period is uncommon for a traditional landscape supplies operation and shows strong customer adoption of online ordering. 

In-store and phone sales recovered as well. 

This may be the most important indicator. 

After the initial disruption and a dip in 2021, the yard/store revenue rose from $1.2M in 2021 to $3.4M in 2025. That’s an increase of more than $2M in four years. 

The key observation: 

Online visibility did not replace in-store sales, it helped bring customers back. 

Customers were clearly finding the business online, then choosing to visit the yard or call to place orders. This cross-channel uplift is often difficult to achieve, yet it appears consistently in the data. 

Landscaping Supplies - Soil and Mulch

Landscaping Supplies - Bagged Products

What This Suggests About the Strategy 

Looking strictly at the numbers and outcomes, several conclusions seem reasonable:

1. Digital marketing successfully countered the physical access issue. 

2. It provided a new way for customers to find and engage with the business, even while roadworks still made physical entry to the business premises less convenient. 

3. Ecommerce created a safety net that turned into a major revenue stream.  What began as a recovery measure became a central part of the business’s operation. 

4. The business gained resilience.  With strong online sales and improved in-store traffic, the company became less dependent on external conditions, a valuable position for any local retailer. 

5. The results were not temporary. 

   Growth was steady and continued for several consecutive years, which is more meaningful than a short-term spike. 

An Honest Assessment: Would any Business Consider This Approach? 

For a business dealing with declining sales due to external factors such as roadworks, reduced access, new competition, or shifting customer behaviour, this case would be hard to ignore. 

There are a few reasons why: 

• The strategy implemented here didn’t just shift customers from one channel to another; it grew all channels. 

• The gains were not theoretical, they showed up as real revenue increases, both online and in-store. 

• The approach is replicable. Many local businesses, especially those with bulky products or yard-based operations, face similar issues with access, visibility, or market changes. 

The results demonstrate that 3 Clouds Collective clearly understood the challenge, designed a practical and effective solution, and executed it in a way that delivered measurable, long-term outcomes, rather than a short-term campaign win. 

From a business perspective, the results speaks for itself more than any promotional claim could.