Garden centres should be taken on by the multiples, claimed a leading horticultural supplier.
Garden plants offered a major opportunity to grocery retailers, said Martin Brown, MD of plant supplier Lingarden.
He said retailers could gain lessons from the merchandising of wine to give consumers the confidence to buy garden plants in supermarkets.
“It’s a £600m market and much bigger than house plants. At the moment only 12% of people are buying their garden plant at the supermarkets.”
He said Lingarden had identified three types of shopper. The first knews the names of plants and had the confidence to buy anywhere.
The second wanted to know more but lacked confidence, preferring to buy at a garden centre, while the third knew nothing and wanted the finished garden, but was willing to buy garden plants anywhere.
John Davies, group marketing manager, said: “If we can give the people the confidence, they will buy in supermarkets.”
He said the challenge for the retailers was to make the plants available and provide straightforward information and advice to the consumer.
“There’s a parallel with wine. People used to only buy wine in specialised shops, but multiples have been successful with giving information and advice and they have to do the same with garden plants.”
Brown said the supermarket had the ability to offer excellent value for money on garden plants compared to the garden centres. “We just need to give the consumer the confidence to buy. There are not many £600m markets still available for the taking. The retailers have taken on the butchers, the bakers and the candlestick makers. Why not look at the garden centres?”
Ed Bedington