House plants or Outdoor plants, Spiky or spotty plants, Flowery or leafy plants… You name it the UK is mad for it. As we slowly come out of lockdown we as florists can’t ignore the massive interest in plants. Should the consumer appetite turn to a smaller budget for the time being, are plants one of our answers? Using your skills and knowledge right now can put you at an advantage and means you can buy unusual and interesting plants to sell to your customers. This will also create plenty of opportunities for you to have social media content talking about how to care for them and showing off those unusual leaves and interesting patterns! It’s instagram ready!
Recently in a members Bloom Room virtual chat we discussed that the promotion of wellbeing and the benefit of being around plants and flowers will be so important to really shout about going forwards. Not only because as an industry we want to kick start our sales again but because we also know it to be true. We really do have a product which can lift your mood, help you to feel better and be more productive.
An interesting article we have found recently indicates that UK searches for house plants online have risen by 84% between Feburary and April 2020. The article also gives the most searched house plant for your nearest city! so take a look and get buying those! Seems like Devils Ivy, Aloe Vera and Bamboo plants are highly sought after.
Plants, Work and Wellbeing
With everyone spending more time inside the home, both socially and work wise, we can all get behind the very real fact that Plants can improve your overall work situation. They look after us and we look after them too, win win. Don’t be afraid to shout about the stats to customers. And it must be true because we all know how much work a florist can get done in a day!
There is real evidence to support all these claims, which can be found all over the place but in one particular study in Japan, at The University of Hyogo, The researchers found that “placing small plants within close sight contributed to psychological stress reduction across the board.”
Research which you can view in the downloadable links below, shows Indoor plant presence reduces illness and absences within the workplace:
> Sick-leave — from 20 >60%
> Coughing & wheezing — 35%
> Dry eyes, nose, throat — 20%
> Perceptions of pain — 25%
In addition to the science we all have our own evidence as florists. A BFA member, Denise from Helensburgh Flower Shop shared with us just how powerful flowers and plants have been during this time, ‘I have realised the power of our beautiful product and how adaptable it is to every situation. The comfort flowers have brought to families and to me if I’m honest, it has been very humbling and a huge eye opener on what we sell and the impact flowers have’
Perhaps we can all concentrate on sharing the heartwarming stories we all already have. Sharing the impact we see daily through chatting with customers and through our social media channels.
Subscriptions: wellbeing boxes and packages
Have you ever thought about offering subscriptions? Perhaps now is the time to link those directly with health and wellbeing. A way to connect with customers and with many working from home, should we be offering companies plant or flower packages for their staff? A monthly subscription could well appeal especially if it not only lifts spirits but also increases productivity. Promoting treating and looking after yourself, not only assists with raising mental health awareness but allows florists share our vast experience with this.
The Joy of Plants is a great website to visit for inspiration and plant information. It has hints, tips and lots of videos you can use. It includes care instructions and it is a great site to keep an eye on, helping keep your knowledge up to date. It can be used to remind you of the vast selection of plants that are available to us. Lets face it, one brain only has so much room!
In addition on The Flower Council of Holland website there is always a new Houseplant of the month. For July 2020 Celosia is it! so follow this link to read all about the plant and get some promotional posters too. There are also tips on care instructions for you to share with customers. Could a feature section for Houseplant of the month within your shop (actual or virtual) create interest for customers? Something to think about?
So when we promote plants don’t only think about the physical display or the photos we present online. Go one step further, perhaps think about these categories to focus on:
- Overall Stress Reductions
- Positive Moods
- Increased Attention and Focus
- Mental Restoration & Reduced Mental Fatigue
- Improved Cognitive Performance on Tasks
Lets send a message of wellbeing, productivity and kindness as a way to kick start our re-openings, whenever you decide to do that.
For some downloadable factual articles full of data you can use in your own promotions of plants click below
