Two pilots that focus on garden centres are running at Plantion this year. The first involves the so-called single-purchase cart which showcases a diverse range of offerings from one grower on a Danish cart. In addition, table banners are being tested. Both initiatives mark Plantion’s vision to alleviate and support garden centres as much as possible in selling flowers and plants.
Plantion is gaining experience with single-purchase carts. A single-purchase cart contains a mix of different varieties from one grower. This is Plantion’s response to garden centres being able to order a complete offer in one go to (re)fill their plant tables.
Since Plantion became the preferred supplier for umbrella organisation GRS Retail in 2021, an increased amount of garden centres have been buying from Plantion. Parties are getting to know each other better. Garden centres have specific needs and demands such as the ability to buy a wide range of products from one seller.
Complete offer
Supply manager Plantion Hugo Groen: ‘To meet this demand, we developed the single-purchase cart. Every week, we offer dozens of carts such as ornamental grasses, climbing plants, edible plants and leafy or deciduous shrubs. A garden centre can easily restock its tables with these carts.’ Exactly which single-purchase carts are offered is coordinated with a small team at Plantion. Hugo: ‘I meet with my colleagues Tobias Vos, Michaël van der Meer and Nina Schamp every week. We look at the available supply and listen to what garden centres want.’
Learning process
A select group of garden centres are participating in the pilot. They receive an email or WhatsApp message on Thursday with the offer. Deliveries will be made the following Wednesday. Eventually, the intention is that the single-purchase carts can be ordered from the online shop. Hugo: ‘We are still learning and optimising the offers together with the garden centres.’ First impressions have been positive. ‘We only started in March when the garden centres had already purchased their spring range. That is why single-purchase carts are now mostly ordered to restock tables. Looking ahead to next spring, we are going to inform garden centres about our available supply sooner so they can buy their plants from us from the start of the season onwards.’
Do you want to order single-purchase carts or would you like to have more information? Send an email to ccaanbod@plantion.nl or call +31 6 57 18 23 35.