As the 2020 Christmas season sneaks ever closer, the leading European poinsettia marketing initiative, Stars for Europe, is reaching out to UK garden retailers to remind them of just how expansive its 2020 poinsettia offering is and to help them drive sales of this festive bloom more than ever before.
A rainbow of poinsettia colour
Utilising the skills and expertise of some of Europe’s leading poinsettia breeders – Dümmen Orange, Selecta One, Beekenkamp and Syngenta, supported by MNP Flowers – this year the poinsettia is set to enjoy a resurgence as blooms come in more of a rainbow of colours than ever before. Tapping into influences that are shaping interior trends, as well as fashion and beauty, the complete Stars for Europe poinsettia offering will see blush pinks, rich creams, pale greens, crisp whites, salmon pinks and the classic bright pillarbox red (plus so many more!) all taking centre stage. Never before has there been so many colour ways available; colour ways which will appeal to a broad consumer demographic and cater to both traditional and contemporary tastes.
What’s more, Stars for Europe has also invested in significant PR and marketing support, helping to drive awareness and inspirational content direct to the consumer through print and online media, influencer outreach, product placement and social media, with the aim of converting this into sales for retailers as the festive season approaches.
Maximising in-store potential
After the turbulence of 2020 there is no question that the UK consumer will be looking to this Christmas as an opportunity to regroup, relax and forget about the outside world. This means potentially big business for garden retailers, and perhaps bigger business than ever before. Garden retail not only opened earlier than traditional high street stores following the loosening of lockdown restrictions, but they have since provided a sanctuary for consumers who have embraced this different style of shopping. Garden retailers therefore have a significant opportunity to offer a one-stop-shop for all things Christmas, with poinsettia sitting at the heart of this. However, the success of poinsettia sales lies solely with how retailers merchandise and drive customers to make a purchase. Here the Stars for Europe experts share their top tips to success poinsettia retail.
1) Create displays that stand-out
Whether retailers are looking to capture existing customers or to attract new ones, a dedicated poinsettia display is the ideal way of demonstrating the breadth and variety on offer. Use height and accessories to showcase the different colours available, either as a singular display that packs a punch with an impactful rainbow-esque colour display, or group colours together to showcase how different colour poinsettias suit different interior trends, as you would different festive décor themes.
Why not also let your merchandising teams go wild and create stunning presentations that showcase ways to incorporate poinsettia into inspirational designs? From a mock-up of the Christmas dinner table, to wreaths, handmade advent calendars, hanging décor and elegant touches that adorn Christmas trees and around the home, the options are endless.
2) Co-locate poinsettias around the store
Creating a Christmassy feel around the store relies on decorating every corner. With poinsettia so widely recognised as a festive bloom, they make a great addition to any décor scheme. Why not add poinsettia to your decoration displays, your café tables or even on the tills to entice last minute purchases?
3) International Poinsettia Day
On December 12th, 2020 lovers of poinsettia come together to celebrate these stunning bracts. Drawing attention to this annual day of celebration within the retail environment is a great way of driving impulse sales; sales that may lead to repeat custom once consumers have started to enjoy the bright splash of colour within their homes. Make sure you optimise your customer communication channels to drive interest ahead of the day and consider special offers and promotional deals to increase the average basket spend in the lead up to, and during the day. Signage throughout the store will work as a silent salesperson, whilst staff can be adorned with cut-poinsettia corsages and rosettes to catch the eye.
4) Update the gifting potential
Season after season, poinsettias have proven their worth as a great gift product. This year, retailers can optimise this even further by upping the ante and build more buzz around this gifting opportunity. Adding a wrapping service so that poinsettia can be packaged and wrapped makes it even easier for customers to ‘grab and go’. Poinsettia bouquets, made from cut blooms, not only make for a great impulse purchase but also help to demonstrate the breadth of colours on offer, potentially enticing the recipient of the bouquet instore to find out more. Finally, display the poinsettia plants in complementary planters to enable customers to ‘buy the look’ and increase the average spend once again.
5) Workshops
Homemade means made with love, which is why so many people are looking for inspiration for creating unique gift and décor projects. Stars for Europe has created an unrivalled portfolio of inspiration, with poinsettias at the heart of all these projects. Whether it is creating a one-off advent calendar, envy-inducing table centres or incorporating new colours into your festive scheme, the ideas are endless. Retailers are invited to utilise this content, either as the basis for an in-store (or virtual!) workshop, or as valuable content for social media feeds in the lead up to Christmas 2020.
6) Aftercare
A retailer is only as good as the service it provides, and in the case of poinsettias aftercare advice is a vital component in enjoying sales success. Ensure that staff within the indoor plant area are well versed in poinsettia aftercare advice, but support with additional storage at the point of purchase. A simple sign boasting ‘Five Steps to Thriving Poinsettias’ will catch the eye and illustrate the ease of care. Keep the advice simple yet informative and have a little fun with it!
- Keep poinsettias out of drafts – they don’t appreciate chills!
- Position your poinsettia in a warm and bright space (don’t worry about direct sunlight causing damage, this is winter in the UK – we don’t get enough sunlight to damage the plant!)
- Watering your poinsettia will be dependent on its size, location and temperature. A general rule of thumb is a standard 13cm pot will need a small glass of water (around 0.2l) whilst a mini plant needs just a shot glass of water. TOP TIP: if water is still present after 10 minutes remove it to avoid overwatering.
- If in doubt, keep your poinsettia dry rather than overly wet. TOP TIP – to see if your poinsettia needs watering, simply lit it up. If it feels light, then it’s time to give it a drink.
- A little plant food or fertiliser can go a long way. Treat your poinsettia to a little boost once a week to keep it thriving long after Santa has been to visit!
Find out more
To find out more about Stars for Europe, and to access its incredible library of advice, aspirational imagery and content please visit https://www.starsuniteeurope.eu/en/
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stars for Europe
Stars for Europe (SfE) is a marketing initiative founded by European poinsettia breeders Dümmen Orange, Selecta One, Beekenkamp and Syngenta Flowers, supported by MNP Flowers. The initiative began in 2000 with the aim to promote and secure long-term poinsettia sales in Europe. SfE activities are currently taking place in 22 European nations.
Press contact
Stars for Europe UK press office
Hornby Whitefoot PR
Phon: 07851 610573
Mail: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk