Gardening is proving more than a hobby for the supermarkets.
Tesco has plans to open a store combining a supermarket with a Dobbies; Morrisons opened 129 temporary in-store garden centres last year; and now Waitrose is embarking on a major expansion of its gardening business.
The move into gardening makes a lot of sense. With fresh produce experience, supermarkets have the know-how to look after plants, and gardening provides a natural add-on for the rest of their businesses.
Having a good gardening offer gives people an extra reason to visit stores and a lot of garden products are also bought on impulse, so many customers will probably pick up something for their garden from time to time as they go about their weekly grocery shop.
It is safe to assume that Waitrose customers have bigger gardens than most, so its new range and outdoor shops are likely to go down especially well.
Let’s hope that the venture proves more successful for Waitrose MD Mark Price than his wife’s garden business. Judith Price owned a garden centre and fine food company called Plant & Harvest, which went into administration last year after losing money for eight consecutive years.
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