ISHS Acta Horticulturae 97: VI Symposium on Horticultural Economics
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES IN FLOWER RETAILING IN THE U.S.A. |
| Author: | Dana C. Goodrich Jr |
| Abstract:
Plant shops are highly specialized retailing institutions offering a severely restricted product line. In their original form these retail outlets provided only foliage plants and closely related supplies. The number of these outlets increased during the 1970's but demand for their principal products began to ease. The resultant reduction in plant shop numbers can be viewed as the declining stage of an institution life cycle. This stage results not only from the simple economic collapse and disappearance of some enterprises, but also from the over-throw by others of the uniquely austere product line. A tendency of food retailers to broaden their floral product/service lines also has been identified. Full-line/full-service flower retailing enterprises have become established in several supermarkets. Not all such efforts have proven successful, but their presence tempts prediction. The wheel of retailing concept postulates that a retailing industry is shaken by innovators who revert from broad-product-mix/ high-service format to one of fewer products and minimum service. Only incomplete evidence threatens confident prediction of the same for flower marketing efforts among U.S. food retailers. | |
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