A bunch of “cotton/viscose” for £4.99

It seems to me it is rare indeed for the male of the species to have a complete grasp of the process that is involved when women go clothes shopping.

Men can grasp some but not all of it, just as we can endure some but not all of the time involved – boredom thresholds do differ after all.

But one aspect that seems clear is that, by and large, women rarely choose clothes because of the material they are made from.

Ok, some exceptions do come to mind but the look, style and fit invariably take precedence.

The corollary is that if a material chafes, irritates or is generally uncomfortable, then it’s pretty likely to be rejected.

Taking that thought a step further, it comes as little surprise today’s sophisticated lifestyle retailers rarely promote their lines at the point of sale as, for example, “cotton/viscose”…. on the eminently sensible grounds that it is perhaps not the strongest selling proposition.

So it does come as a great surprise whenever I see the direct opposite at the point of sale for cut flowers and houseplants.

Where is the communication message or trigger to purchase when you promote houseplants or cut flowers at the point of sale simply as “houseplants” or “cut flowers”, as can be seen in some retailers?

Or, in the case of some garden centres, by their horticultural values?

It is completely nonsensical to me – the consumer knows what a cut flower or a houseplant is, just as she knows what a cabbage or a carrot is.

Surely the resoundingly obvious is not really a trigger to purchase but is exactly what it says on the label – a statement of the resoundingly obvious.

Flowers and plants are always, to a larger or lesser degree, an emotional purchase and yet all too often the communication around them is as emotional as that around the eggs or sugar.

Have we lost sight of the fact that cut flowers and houseplant are a lifestyle purchase – not an accusation that could, I suggest, be levelled at eggs?

So it doesn’t seem like rocket science to suggest an overhaul of the attitude towards and content of point of sale could pay off.

Time perhaps to throw away the corporate rule book and create interest and intrigue with fresh and colloquial messages or invitations that are not only relevant to the shopper, but also to their lifestyle aspirations?

Arguably this will be a more effective way to focus her attention on the cut flower and houseplant fixture as she walks into a store in the seconds, or even milli-seconds, that you have to grab her attention.

Is there really any risk? Messages that reflect the benefits and intrinsic values of cut flowers and houseplants – health, green, lifestyle and self-reward spring to mind – could well attract new customers to the category and up-spend existing ones.

No risk, only reward.