How can a certain plant website get away with charging so much !
I'm so cross I feel like I have sucker written on my forehead. We live v close to a top end online garden nursery. Sometimes I think it is a treat to purchase something from there, but why do I fall for it. Twice recently I've bought something from there and then found a better quality, half the price version at the local garden centre half a mile down the road.
I feel bad for people that think this place is the place to buy their plants. Charging £4.99 for a 9cm plant, when I got them for £1.49, same pot, same size at our local garden centre. Even a chain plant nursery was selling them at £2 on offer.
I hope no-one else on here falls foul of this. I understand for special plants that you can get anywhere else, fine pay the premium, but if there is a chance you can buy the plant in a local garden centre please try there first.
Posts
Hello its like many items that are for sale you can't really blame the seller its down to the buyer to check prices . they are in the business to make money . I myself class myself as a safy shopper and nowadays with the internet it makes it easier .
I avoid all the BIG NAMES, the customer pays for the advertising.
In the sticks near Peterborough
There is a garden shop attached to a large entertainment complex with gardens fairly close to where I live which sells plants, most of which their gardeners grow from cuttings or seeds. At the start of the spring the plants are small and under £2. As they grow and are re-potted the price goes up untill they reach £5/£6. Fair enough I say. Just get in early.
I like this thread as it is a real issue with on-line retailing. I own a company which sells herbs and lavender plants and competing with the above company is tricky because they are able to spend in excess of 2-3 million on advertising a year. They offer the free postage, or minimal postage, but because there is the real risk that a customer may buy just one plant their prices are very very high unless you buy 6 or whatever multiple they want you to buy in. Because of the high volume, real targeted advertising etc the customer is drawn in to a purchase for convenience rather than a brain transaction.
It is the curse of my business that I do not know whether people want 'free delivery' or whether customers prefer for the business to be transparent and say - plant cost 'x', delivery cost 'y'.
I would love any feedback on the 'free delivery versus transparent delivery'. I have now put a minimum order amount of £16, plus a £4.95 delivery charge per order. Because of this I can charge £1.50 per plant with the knowledge that I will be selling more than 10 per order.
Like I said, would love the feedback. Not advertising my company - have not mentioned name or where I am, so hope anyone reading does not think this - just would love gardeners / customers feedback.
Chris
hi peanuts 3 yes so right what you say onions set about £3to4 pound I get mine £1 80 a pack potatoes £4 to 5 a kilo I get25 kilos for £28 then carrage still works out cheaper
To be honest I've found very little correlation between the size/name of a garden centre and the prices charged. The one we generally use often has good quality plants on offer and then the prices are hard to beat. I've visited many others and the price variations can be massive, sometimes cheaper but often not.
Don't just buy something at the first place you see it, unless it's something unusual and you don't want to risk missing it.