"For plants without eye-catching features, a label or pot cover is a MUST"
Zoltán Horváth from Selecta one shares his plant retail marketing insights
When it comes to understanding what makes plants stand out on the shop floor, few people have as much insight as Zoltán Horváth, European Retail Manager at Selecta one.
Part of the Selecta Group (a global leader in breeding, growing, and marketing ornamental plants) Zoltán’s role puts him at the heart of how growers and retailers connect with consumers. From bedding and balcony favourites to perennials, houseplants and cut flowers, Selecta’s varieties are seen in garden centres across the world, and Zoltán has a sharp eye for how they’re received.
Whether going undercover as a “secret shopper” or working with retailers to refine displays, he knows how presentation, marketing, and emotion can make the difference between a plant that flies off the shelves and one that fades into the background.
I talked to him to find out what really sells plants, and how the future of garden centre displays might look.
When you walk into a garden centre, what’s the very first thing you look for in how plants are being displayed?
I ask myself, “Which topic or season is presented at the entrance? What is the main message to the customers?” These questions investigate whether the garden centre has a plan for the customer, or if they are showing ad hoc products.
What makes the difference between a plant that sells itself and one that just blends into the background?
The flower, the colour of the leaves, the marketing communication (pot cover or label), or simply the merchandising in the store. Sometimes a ready solution/idea can help to sell the plant, like “Shop the Look.”
You sometimes go undercover as a secret shopper - what’s the most surprising thing you’ve discovered doing that?
At my so called “retail checks”, I’m looking for Selecta one’s varieties, plant presentations, their quality and pricing. I can also categorize the given store/chain after my visit and then know which of our series and marketing communications could be interesting for them.
It is surprising and sad to see retailers selling small plants in large pots. But it was most surprising to see our newest Osteospermum Highlight 3D Steel Blue already in a garden center chain last year. To be honest, at the beginning, we were not sure if that vivid blue color would be a hit…
