| It’s common knowledge that seedling sales, particularly flowers, were one of the first casualties of the drought. In saying that, there are now some good signs in the market of a comeback, particularly in the vegetable and produce area. You would have thought that packet seeds and bulbs sales would suffer too and they did. However, it appears to me that Garden Centre operators who still carry good stocks, merchandise correctly and try hard will be successful. In fact, the suppliers I spoke with all saw opportunities for Garden Centres to be innovative with their displays and hence increase sales.
“Show customers how easy it is to grow vegetables and herbs in containers”was one comment made.
I asked our two key suppliers of packet seeds (Yates & Mr Fothergill) to the Garden Centre market the following questions. Judy Horton from Yates responded as follows:
Are consumer packet seed sales growing or in decline? “We are seeing a resurgence largely brought about by the increasing interest in home-grown veggies and herbs”.
What is the sales ratio of vegetables to flowers? 30% flowers, 60% veggies, 10% herbs.
Is there growth in vegetable sales and not in flowers? “Yes, vegetables are increasing markedly while flowers are relatively static.”
General comments. “Strong and growing interest in the direct sown varieties such as sweet peas, sunflowers, carrots, radishes etc.”
Aaron Whitehouse from Mr Fothergill’s Seeds was more expansive.
“Flower seed sales have been steady in recent times, with only a small decline in popularity which is believed to be directly linked to water shortages and restrictions. The increase in popularity of growing veggies at home is not waning in the face of these challenges but instead is increasing significantly. This is not an isolated trend to Australia but is being reflected across other major markets such as the USA and UK and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Why?
More people want to know where their food comes from and how it’s been treated – they are more environmentally aware
There are genuine cost savings to be had by growing veggies at home. Recent estimates place this figure at around $1500 per year for the average family from a modest sized garden. This can help offset the rising costs of everyday living – fuel, food and interest rates.
Gardening is no longer seen as something old fashioned enjoyed only by older people. Younger generations are discovering that gardening can be relaxing, fun and very satisfying.
It is an opportune time for retailers to capitalise on this growth and an eye-catching seed display, well positioned in store, will help significantly increase a retailer’s sales, not to mention the possibilities of associated add-on-sales of such products as propagators, growing mixes and fertilisers.
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Spring 2008 will be a big one for the Mr Fothergill’s team who are relaunching their entire seed range with attractive new packaging and inspirational point of sale material. The new-look packets have been designed to emphasise pictures of delicious fresh vegetables and bright and colourful flowers. Some of the new varieties on offer include attractive new sunflowers ‘Golden Prominence’ and ‘Royal Velvet’, Bok Choi, Zucchini and Squash Collection packs, Mesculun Mix and an outstanding Chilli named Razzmatazz that performs brilliantly in pots.
The sub-ranges within their seed range have also undergone a revamp and some exciting new additions have been made that meet modern demands – Organic vegetables, Container Gardening and ‘Fun seeds for kids’ – something to tempt and inspire us all.”
Vegetables and ‘Produce’
It is clear that this is a real growth area. Phil Tapping from Mr Fothergill’s said. “Vegetables, herbs and winter produce such as rhubarb, potatoes, asparagus and more are showing growth not seen for a number of years. It is clearly a trend and should last but capitalize on it while you can. There are great opportunities for linked sales here.”
If you look at the UK images here you’ll see that the Garden Centres devote space to stock and displays. According to Phil “a large display of stock definitely helps sales”.
Phil also felt that shows on TV like ‘Jamie Oliver’s Garden’ were contributing to the sales growth in this department. The ‘Fresh is Best’ feeling is clearly coming through.
Bulbs
According to Phil Tapping autumn bulb sales have been strong but so too has the sales of winter perennials. “Bulbs are a considered purchase but packet seeds are perhaps more of an impulse buy based on the great display” said Phil.
Graeme Joyce from Heineger Home & Garden (Blue Dandenong Bulbs) felt that the market was booming and their new range of add-on products such as fertilizers was really helping lift sales.
David Van Berkel (Van Berkel Distributors) indicated that the overall bulb market was not growing but he was quite happy with sales to date. “We need to encourage younger people into the market” said David. “The potted bulb market has lifted over the last five years and that is an area that can attract younger people.”
It was interesting to see the potted bulbs on sale in Garden Centres in the UK. They were presented for sale in a much earlier growth stage than we present them in Australia. They were displayed beautifully with large labels and clearly had a greater shelf life for Garden Centres and consumers alike.
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