Right about now Target might be wishing it hadn’t walked away from the lawn and garden business. That’s basically what the company did last year when it shuttered outdoor garden centers and eliminated live plants sales. Now, spring is under way nationwide and consumers looking to refresh their yards and outdoor living spaces are being forced to shop at competitors.

Oh sure, Target still offers a wide assortment of such outdoor living products as seating, grills, garden statuary, tools, chemicals, seeds, etc., but the products are merchandised inside stores in an area devoted to seasonal merchandising where the presentation is far less impactful. Shoppers in the market for lawn and garden products might be able to find what they need at Target, but that’s assuming they even come inside the store to shop the department.