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Sustainable concepts: relevance matters more than selling

TuinZaken 4, 2026 · 7 mei 2026 · 3 min

In the garden centre, sustainability is no longer a differentiator but a baseline expectation. At the same time, price sensitivity remains high. The classic question, how do I sell sustainable products to price-conscious customers, is understandable but misses the point. The real strategic question is bigger: how does a garden centre stay relevant in a world where products are available everywhere?

Botanic made its choice ten years ago

A strong example comes from France, at the Botanic chain. More than ten years ago they made sustainability the foundation of their concept. At the time that produced choices the market found odd: an organic fresh-food store inside the garden centre, a range of plant-based care and wellbeing products, and a clear ecological position. That long-term view has proved remarkably future-proof. Botanic keeps growing steadily. Their starting point was: do not sell products alone, sell a way of living. Today that fits changing consumer behaviour better than ever.

Facts instead of green claims

Analyses within the sector show that sustainable products perform better when they are a logical part of a wider store concept. Customers accept a higher price as soon as sustainability is explained concretely and understandably. Not with abstract green claims, but with clear facts: lifespan, lower maintenance, cost per season. That makes the choice rational and builds trust in both the product and the store.

Do not sell products alone, sell a way of living.

The business model under pressure

At the same time the classic business model is under pressure. Products are on sale everywhere: online, at discounters, in other retail channels. Less and less of the difference sits in the range alone. Future-proof garden centres therefore look further and invest in experience, inspiration and time well spent. International examples show that combining the store with workshops, display gardens, catering, education or leisure elements leads to longer dwell time and stronger customer loyalty.

For the next two years this is where the focus belongs. Owners would do well to look outside their own sector too, at the ways physical places draw people in. A clear position, a distinctive concept and a coherent range are essential to that. The purpose of the visit is not primarily the purchase but the experience. Once customers are in the store, the sale follows as a logical result.

This column first appeared in Dutch in the trade magazine TuinZaken, and is reproduced with the editors' permission. Translated from the Dutch original.