Planteria Group, the corporate supplier of greenery and floral displays to clients such as The Savoy Hotel and Harrods, is branching out into the e-commerce consumer market with Foli8, an online shop featuring eye-catching houseplants.
The new 80-piece collection picks up on the growing trend for living spaces closer to nature. UK houseplant sales are forecast to top £4 billion this year with 18-34 year olds as the biggest fans. Foli8’s offering breaks new ground with the plants cradled in compostable pots made of coir, coconut husks that are usually discarded. The UK sector currently uses 500 million plastic pots a year many of which still end up in landfill.
Second generation cousins and joint CEOs Matt and Darrell Anderson run the family landscape design and floristry business from a six-acre nursery in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, where the houseplants (from £9.50) are brought on after propagation overseas. “Lockdown accelerated our plan to diversify and expand,” says Matt. “We have continued our commercial services caring for our clients’ plants. Demand was down, although picking up again now."
"Post Brexit there is also an opportunity for other small businesses to start propagating plants here in the UK. It’s trade that died out, but the market is changing and we would very much like to hear from any entrepreneurs taking this route,” Matt adds.
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