Economic benefits of plants
Beautification Draws Customers, Reduces Shopper Stress, and Enhances Store Appeal. Trees and other ornamental plants beautify otherwise bland areas. They help create a positive aesthetic environment that attracts and welcomes customers of local businesses. Stores with landscaped areas have proven to make shoppers feel more at ease, and also contribute to appeal of a store. This translates into expanded sales resulting from longer shopping occasions and to stores being able to charge slightly higher prices because of an increase in the perceived quality of the store.
In today’s economic climate, businesses are seeking out new methods to effectively maintain their consumer base. What few businesses realize is that the simple addition of landscaping to a store front can make all the difference to a customer. The positive environment created by aesthetically-pleasing landscaping not only welcomes customers inside, but also enhances their perception of the level of quality of products and services offered by that store. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices, travel further to, and shop longer in a store that they perceive to be a quality establishment. Adding flowers or shrubs to the outside of a business can boost sales and widen the consumer base to include more customers. In addition, ornamental plants are an effective way to revitalize a stale business, bring in more clients, and improve the overall environment of the store. Furthermore, the presence of ornamental plants makes shoppers feel less stressed and more at ease in a store, which is a huge factor in increasing the total amount of time spent shopping. Landscaping is an effective way to invite more customers to a store and to keep them coming back to experience the positive environment they encounter there. (Bisco Werner 1996, Brethour 2007, Frank 2003, McPherson 2004, PNLA 2009, Wolf 1998)