Växande växtmarknad: tillväxt och utveckling i produktion, handel och konsumtion av blommor och växter i Skåne

Marknaden for blommor och vaxter uppvisade hoga tillvaxtsiffror under 2000-talets forsta ar. I denna rapport beskrivs utvecklingen med fokus pa odling och forsaljning i Skane. Overgripande fragestallning har varit hur denna bransch klarar sig i konkurrensen och malet att ge en bred beskrivning over utvecklingen i odlings-. detaljist- och konsumentledet. Vardet av den svenska produktionen av krukvaxter och utplanteringsvaxter uppgick 2006 till drygt 600 miljoner kronor, en siffra som varit relativt oforandrad sedan 1995. Samtidigt har vardet av importen okat kraftigt. I Sverige produceras 40-50 miljoner krukvaxter per ar. Produktionen visar en svagt minskande trend i ett tioarsperspektiv med en liten okning vid den senaste matningen, 2008. Den skanska krukvaxtproduktionen ar mer framgangsrik an odlingen av utplanteringsvaxter. Detaljistledets aktorer blir allt storre och foretagen visar pa okande omsattning. I ett urval av tio forsaljningsstallen genomfordes en butiksinventering dar prisnivan mattes genom att priserna i en for arstiden representativ varukorg jamfordes. Dyrast krukvaxter fanns hos marknadsledaren Plantagen, och de billigaste hos Bauhaus och Coop Forum. Undersokningen visade ocksa att ursprungsmarkning och varumarken var sallsynta. Odlarna har svart att na ut med nagon profilering till konsument. Data over konsumtionen ar bristfalliga men vardet anges till 9-10 miljarder. Data fran SCB visar en stadig vardeokning fram till 2006, med 25 procent under fyra ar. Uppgifter fran tidningen Market visar plus 18 procent 2002 till 2006 och fortsatt vardeokningen (+ 3 %) 2007 men denna brots 2008, da konsumtionsvardet minskade med en halv procent. Konsumtionsdata fran GfK visar pa variationer mellan dessa ar men i stort sett oforandrade varden 2006 till 2009. Skillnaderna mellan de olika kallorna for vardets utveckling beror troligtvis pa att man mater olika saker; i SCB och Market mats inte bara snittblommor och krukvaxter utan aven till exempel plantskolevaxter, jord och liknande. Strukturomvandlingen, nyetableringarna och koncentrationen i detaljistledet riskerar medfora minskad forhandlingsstyrka for de skanska odlarna, men de stora aktorerna kan ocksa starka vaxtintresset fran konsumenternas sida. Producenterna bor se upp sa att man inte missar utvecklingen i gardencenterbranschen och detta okade intresse. Risken finns att man blir fast i mitten; inte tillrackligt stora for att konkurrera med okad import till laga priser och inte tillrackligt specialiserade pa ett unikt sortiment. Abstract This report is the result of a project titled Growing plants market, financed by the foundation Sparbanksstiftelsen Skane. The project has run parallel to the program for growth in Swedish horticulture (Tillvaxt Tradgard http://www.tillvaxtprogram.slu.se ) which deals with all horticultural products. The focus here has been on pot plants and annual bedding plants produced in the southern region, Skane, which is a horticultural cluster in Sweden. The descriptions and discussions are made within the strategic frameworks of Michael Porter. The annual domestic production consists of some 40 to 50 Million pot plants and the same amount of bedding plants, at a total value of around SEK 600 Millions (€ 60 millions). Imports are increasing and gaining markets shares. The producers in Skane are more successful on the pot plant market than on the market for bedding plants. Bulbs in pots are increasing while cut flowers show decreasing figures, with the exception of tulips - a product for which the southern region holds no more than fifteen percent of total domestic production. The retail sector is going through fast structural changes with fewer and larger firms. The two largest garden centre companies Plantagen and Blomsterlandet, each with a turnover of more than SEK 1,000 Million in 2008, are expanding. Independent retailers are forming new coalitions. Observation of prices and assortments in ten retail units showed big differences in price of similar plants and showed that the market leader Plantagen had the highest price level, in spite of a marketing image of good low price products. The origin of the pot plants was not easily detected and the garden centres did not display origin or brands to any large extent. The local growers have thus not succeeded in profiling their products to the consumers. Consumption data are scarce and incoherent, but the total value of plants, cut flowers, pots and the like amounts to around SEK 9,000 to 10,000 Millions. The market increased by 18 to 25 per cent 2002 to 2006 (depending on the database used). The latest figures show a further rise 2007 and then a slight fall in 2008. Data from GfK on consumer level show no considerable changes between 2006 and 2009 in purchase of plants and flowers. Case studies of eight firms showed that the 2009 season was good in spite of the recession. The growth in sales from large firms may consist of other garden equipment. The gardens centres sell a full range of products and the smaller ones compete by means of special plants, inspiring shops and more services, while the supermarkets have a much narrower assortment. Structural changes and a higher degree of market concentration, with new actors, owners and capital, may lead to less bargaining power of the growers and their main sales organisation Master Gron, but the big outlets could also help enhance the interest of the consumers. This development must be taken advantage of by the local growers, who otherwise risk being stuck in the middle: not large enough to reap economies of scale and compete with imports and not specialised enough in a unique assortment of plants