Tough economy presents opportunities for horticulture

Yesterday I saw an encouraging article on the BBC. In the midst of the economic doom and gloom, some businesses are actually thriving. Not in spite of the downturn, but because of it. Cobblers are reporting a surge in trade as people decide to have their existing shoes fixed instead of buying new ones.

Where there’s a problem there’s always an opportunity. The financial markets may be nervous and the resulting hardship for many is real, but the world hasn’t stopped turning.

So where do the horticulture industry’s opportunities lie at this time?
With less money to spend on travel, people are spending more time in their homes. This increases the desire for those homes to be aesthetically pleasing. When times are tough, the human instinct for progression doesn’t disappear – the retail therapy just needs to be re-directed.

With big ticket items off the agenda, getting a few nice plants to brighten up the home and garden is a perfect, low cost, pick-me-up that instantly enhances the living environment, while improving the garden doubles as a great investment for the property as a whole. Coupled with the current pressure on society to be greener, the feel-good factor of having more plants around is amplified.

The time is right for the public to be receptive to gardening promotion, so it’s up to the industry to deliver it. The key is in marketing products appropriately for the mood, pre-empting the particular concerns customers have in the current economic climate.

Demonstrate value for money
Spell out how many weeks/months/years of pleasure a particular plant will bring and plant the thought of what excellent value it represents over time.
How...
In stores via p-o-p and knowledgeable staff. On the web via promotional pages on store websites. Via the media by sending press information on this subject to editors.


Implement transparent, honest marketing
It’s never good to disappoint customers by making unrealistic claims about products, and when money is tight loosing trust is suicidal. If a tropical plant is only likely to last 2 months in a temperate climate then say so – perhaps with a tongue-in-cheek twist that if the customer can’t get away to paradise this year, at least paradise can come to them for a while! Knowing a product has a limited lifespan is unlikely to stop the customer from buying - otherwise there wouldn't be a cutflower market - but managing customer expectations will earn respect and loyalty.
How...
In stores via p-o-p and knowledgeable staff. On the web via promotional pages on store websites. Via the media by sending inspiring information about your more interesting but shorter-lived plants to editors.


Make it really easy
Efficient spending at this time is paramount. Customers won’t want to risk wasting money by purchasing unsuitable plants or the wrong care products, so make sure there’s plenty of advice at hand to help every customer discover how to shop efficiently. Implement a proactive policy for advising customers on purchases.
How...
In stores via p-o-p, in-store displays and knowledgeable staff. On the web promote the super-helpful advice your store is offering via your own website. Via the media go to your local press with a story about your proactive policy of helping customers shop efficiently.


Exude positivity
Today’s consumers don’t just buy products, they buy solutions and emotions. Right now everybody needs a solution to the general economic gloom, so if coming into your store makes them feel good, they’ll be all the more likely to want to take a piece of it home. So have cheery displays and above all, happy, friendly staff.
How...
In stores via displays and staff.