The Return of Quality

Rocket Blog

The Return of Quality

I just returned from the IPM trade show in Essen, Germany, Europe’s annual gathering of growers and suppliers for the horticultural industry and a showcase for new designs, products and ideas. The mood was incredibly upbeat and attendance at an all-time high. Rocket Farms attends this show every two years to spot new trends and to get design ideas for our customers

One of the most interesting things about this show is seeing firsthand how much emphasis the European growers place on quality. Consumers there demand only the best and are not as price sensitive as we can be in the United States; superior plant quality is a given, and they also value good packaging, design (as it relates to fashion and home décor) and exceptional merchandising and display. Plants are treated like other consumer goods in that they must be of consistent high quality and effective packaging in order to sell competitively.

Rather than being distinct from America, I’ll bet that their market is simply farther down the product life cycle road than we are. There is evidence that many of the better and more advanced growers in America are moving more toward consistency and high quality than ever before. This is a rising tide lifts all boats situation that is already starting to benefit consumers.

At Rocket Farms, we travel all over the world to see what’s working in other countries and how we might adapt these new ideas to our market. In a few weeks we meet with our orchid breeders in Asia to work on new varieties and designs.   It’s truly an exciting time to be in the horticultural business, and perhaps even a better time to be a consumer that can benefit from what has become a very flat world.

Rocket Blog

The Return of Quality

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