Branded flowers? You bet.

Shopping for flowers and plants is mostly a matter of choosing which blob of color to buy. Most sellers do a terrible job of identifying the items they are selling--the table below shows that only 13% of our shoppers gave their sellers good or excellent ratings on identifying what they were selling. Imagine a supermarket selling generic FRUIT for $X a pound and VEGGIES for $Y a pound. This store would let their customers guess whether they were buying peaches or apricots on the fruit side, and whether they were buying broccoli or string beans on the veggie side. That is mostly what happens to plants and flowers, which are often sold as annuals, perrenials, or bunches. Slowly but surely, this is going to change.

Consumers are buying plants and flowers for more reasons than sympathy and what one marketer calls "wife management." Home Depot, the largest seller of plants, has introduced branded plants under the Viva! label. Branded roses and tulips are happening. Lowe's is doing an outstanding job of signing every plant they sell, and Trader Joe's is sharing tidbits about their flower bunches that inform consumers about care and life expectancy, as well as bunch size and origin.

Someday soon, consumers will start seeing branded plants and flowers as well as signs and labels that tell them what those pretty blooms are called, and how long they can expect them to live. They may find more convenient and even car-friendly packaging, too.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Have a lovely summer! Back in September Flowers & Plants % Good or Excellent Seasonal excitement 76% Freshness at purchase 50% Care/growing information 43% Retaining quality at home 28% Value for money 27% Packaging to get home 27% Enjoyable shopping trip 25% Knowledge of sellers 14% Flower/plant ID at store 13%