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supermarket plants

dphadwindphadwin Posts: 2
in Problem solving
when i enter a supermarket i am usualy presented with a large display of bedding plants and small shrubs,many dead and dying it seems they are never watered but just left to die .presumably they are then dumped plastic pots compost the lot  millions every year isnt about they are called to account this is a deliberate businus strategy buy cheap sell what sells and dump the rest regardless of the waste and resultant pollution

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Sadly it happens every year. I'm sure they sell some when they're fresh in (I've been known to buy supermarket plants if they look good) but I think the staff don't always have the time/facilities/knowledge/instructions from management to look after them properly. Some shops (and even some branches of the same chain) seem to do better than others.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • dphadwindphadwin Posts: 2
    i dont think they have any intention of looking after them just sell or dump
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It's quite store- and branch-dependent round here, for example the small Morrisons in our village doesn't water the plants (or not enough) but the B&M across the road water theirs quite well and the big Morrisons that's a short drive away has a dedicated "garden centre" area outside through the summer and seem to look after the plants quite well.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I can see it from the store’s point of view. They don’t have sufficient staff to water the plants, they might not have access to an easy source of water and they’re worried about customers tripping and slipping, and possibly suing, due to trailing hoses and pools of water.

    Frankly I am no more agitated by failing plants than I am by seeing the discount bins with stock close to or beyond the sell by date.
    Rutland, England
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    I hate that too!! It's not rocket science to pour water onto pots. 🤬
    One of the ladies at my local Co-op was bemoaning the weekend staffs' lack of bothering..
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Not all SM's are really suited to sell live plants - they don't always have the staff nor the time to care for them properly. With more stores having longer opening hours, there is also the problem of when the plants can be adequately watered without the chance of a customer getting wet shoes ( ! ) , slipping on wet floors or ignoring any warning cones  Basically, they are simply a by product - if they can sell them great, if they wither and die, it's not a financial loss to the store.
    If you consider how badly treated some of the more tender loose fruits/veg are - boxes just roughly upturned into their allotted space resulting in damage which may not be immediately obvious to the customer and the number of times that rotting fruit is left on shelves, it's not really surprising about the plants.
    SN's are food suppliers, anything else is incidental to their core business. 
       
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I wonder how many threads there's been in this vein...
    I don't buy my bread and milk in the garden centre, so if it bothers you, don't buy your plants in a supermarket. 
    Every outlet is different too, and it isn't as simple as saying 'why don't staff members water them'. 
    If it bothers people so much, they should contact the supermarket managers. It's really quite simple.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    DIY shops are as bad, sometimes half the plants are watered and half wilting. If I ran a shop, I'd want it to look enticing for my customers, so I'd make sure someone took the * minutes a day required to do a simple job.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I expect the DIY shops expect their customers to do exactly that - water the plants themselves  ;)
  • GravelEaterGravelEater Posts: 124
    Sometimes delivered on plant racks on the same trailer with some chilled items.
    Sits in the warehouse area for nearly a week before going on the shop floor, not watered once in that time.
    Ends up blocking the doorway, under cover and thus not watered again.

    Some of the withered plants are being offered to staff FoC just to save the expense of waste weight/bulk in a skip.  Else the empty pots are offered FoC to staff to help themselves.

    I don't think most of us would be that concerned if it was only a few plants, but it's trays upon trays in every store up and down the country.

    It is a waste most of the time, but when I look at what my local plant centres are doing it just shows to me the markup on these things and the profit margins at retail.  If one can dump 90% of the products and make a profit or break even then it's worth it to encourage other sales I guess.

    Labour is the big ticket item on the business expenses sheet.  Despite that, there are always managers wandering around playing on phones, or simply hiding from work in offices.  There is time to water the plants.  Just a lack of care.
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