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Selling plants on consignment
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Posted by crdahlia z8bWA (larryteresa@msn.com) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 9:55
| Have any of you ever sold your plants on consignment to a nursery? I am working with a nursery who is trying very hard to make it through these very difficult economic times. It is a very large nursery with now only one greenhouse (3 were lost during our snow/ice storm this winter. We are considering 2 different ideas: One is taking plants, trees, shrubs in on consignment. There is a sales greenhouse attached to the main sales room, so we can take in indoor plants as well as outdoor. There may even be an opportunity for someone to work hours there to lower the consignment percent they are paying. Doing this would allow the nursery to offer a wider variety without having to put out cash to do it. They will continue to offer a limited amount of current-season plants. It would also give some home growers who aren't able to participate in a local farmer's market a place to sell their products.
If you have done this, what percent did the nursery keep?
The other idea we have is to opening a farmer's-type market one or two days a week. At least one of those days would be on a day when there is currently no market in the area -- I am thinking Friday.
I'd really appreciate any comments. This is a long-established nursery and I would love to help them keep it going.
Thanks,
Teresa |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| I have done this with food and the mark up over the price you have to get is generally 25%. So if you need to get $1 for a plant the nursery will sell it for $1.25 and you get the dollar and they keep the 25¢. keep a log of what you bring in and subtract from that what sold and from that you can figure out what the nursery owes you at the end of the week It's pretty simple to do. |
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| But then who is responsible for the care and maintenance of the plants until they are sold? |
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| I do not think you will make it doing the consignment thing. The best bet is to get back to where you once were. Repair the greenhouses. Plant your own flats with veggie and flowers and herbs.Order your spring supplies such as mulch-straw-fertilizer,etc.). Were the greenhouses insured? Maybe--if it is a large well established nursery you could find a investor to bail you out with some cash and offer them a part ownership? |
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| Don't know why, but for some reason I just got 2 responses to something I posed a year and a half ago. So, I'll update what has happened since I posted this. The nursery never got into selling plants on consignment. We did try the swap meet thing for awhile, but that didn't work out either. The man I worked for lost the nursery and the prior owner took it back. Unfortunately, he was no longer interested in trying to continue to run it as a nursery and it has been up for sale since. It is so sad to see it now -- weeds growing everywhere it what was an unbelievably well landscaped area. If it were much nearer town and had acreage to grow dahlias on, I really would have tried to find financing to buy it myself. But, it is about 6 miles from the population and not on a real busy road, so that just isn't practical. It would cost a lot to rebuild the greenhouses that went down in the snow. (And by the way, at least in the state of Washington there is no insurance company that will insure greenhouses for ice and snow). In addition,there just aren't many independent nurseries that can compete with the big stores now. I feel I could as a speciality nursery, but with the biggest income being from mail order. |
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| sorry to hear that it went out of business. We have a greenhouse that is 12 miles outside of town. What he does is to be a vendor at several farmers markets. It's been working for him. Of course, I don't know how much money he makes, but he keeps at it. Marla |
RE: Selling plants on consignment
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| I think that is a great idea i have designed a new plant of sort and would love to get it advertised if interested i would send some pictures of the start up it will look great this spring i would love to consign my product |
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