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Post by Chuckles on Dec 8, 2007 16:37:35 GMT
I get so wound up at the variation in prices of things these days. I few weeks a go I bought 2 x 3" pots of Cyclamens at £1.99 each from a GC. I thought they'll be nice to brighten up the room and £1.99 each is not bad. Yesterday in an indoor market in Lincoln I saw some beautiful larger frilly flowered ones in 5" pots for the same price of £1.99, what a absolute bargain. Now the bit that makes me angry, today in a GC only a few miles from me I saw the same type of frilly flowered Cyclamen in 5" pots and they were £3.99  I know we all want a bargain, but I honestly don't mind paying a fare price for plants. However it really gets my goat that you can pay double the price for the same thing depending on were you shop. This applies to house plants and any garden plants or shrub and it makes my blood boil. Sorry, maybe I should have posted this on the winge thread but wondered if anyone else felt the same and had any recent comparisons. |
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Post by Missredhead on Dec 8, 2007 16:46:05 GMT
Absolutely Chuckles....I think that the variation of price is outragous...
I visited a number of GC's lately and even different branches of the same GC have different prices for the same thing.
I looked at Poinsettias and they ranged from £3 at one branch and a whopping £7 for the exactly the same at another branch.
I try to stick to local family run GC's as their prices may be a little bit more but the plants are of a much better quality, and the staff know what they are talking about.
One of the 'big' ones had a young lad working there, when I asked his advice on something, he looked at me and said 'sorry I don't do gardening'................what on earth was he doing working there then? ( does sound like the whinge thread doesn't it?)
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Post by Weeterrier on Dec 10, 2007 10:56:52 GMT
I worked in a Garden Centre, the owner had another two elsewhere. He made a big deal out of giving staff 20% discount. I later found out that at his other centres, everything was 20% cheaper anyway. The one I worked at was in a well-to-do area, so he upped the prices. So he was cheating his customers, and his staff. He would say that his overheads were higher at this centre, but I still thought it was dodgy. Just read Missy's post again. I applied for a job at one of the big chains, only to be told that the majority of staff were short term students. They don't have to pay holidays, sickness, pensions, anything for them. Apart from minimum wage.  By the way, Dobbies in Scotland has been taken over by Tesco, is that the same in other parts of the country? Tesco frightens me sometimes. I shop there as little as possible , despite it being the nearest supermarket. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 12:17:31 GMT
Hi Wee ... I've read that Dobies has been taken over by Tesco throughout the UK ... and I know they're eyeing up a couple of DIY/garden centre chains here  . I tend to grow from cutting/seed or take advantage of offers when I see them in our local (excellent) garden shop, rather than go out to GCs ... not only are they quite dear, but a lot of them seem to stock the same stuff - whatever's in fashion at the moment. There are some excellent GCs and nurseries, but they tend to be quite inaccessible without a car. Incidentally, Wee, you make a good point about chains hiring short-term students on poor pay and conditions - how can one expect them to take an interest if they're not treated decently themselves? ... cheers ... |
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Post by Missredhead on Dec 10, 2007 20:04:48 GMT
 Never heard of 'dobbies' I'm afraid...
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Post by nightowl on Dec 11, 2007 10:38:12 GMT
Isn't Dobby a funny little elf character in Harry Potter (was it?)
The Wee Fairy obviously has inside info in the "Little People's" world ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2008 15:24:33 GMT
Went to my local hardware store today (he also sells gardening supplies) and he was selling off the most gorgeous embossed terracotta pots - huge - for just €10 ;D A fraction of what I've seen GCs charge for exactly the same thing. So I've bought four of them, and four 100 l bags of compost ... just have to arrange for a courier to pick them up now ;D ;D Two of them are destined for my Daturas which keep blowing over in the plastic pots ... the other two need plants to go in them ;D ;D ... cheers ...
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Post by Jardack on Jan 3, 2008 20:27:57 GMT
Re Dobies, I have just had a catalogue through from them, but it doesn't mention Tesco's on it at all...
Wonder if they have taken over all of them or just some?
Jardack
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. I tend to grow from cutting/seed or take advantage of offers when I see them in our local (excellent) garden shop, rather than go out to GCs ... not only are they quite dear, but a lot of them seem to stock the same stuff - whatever's in fashion at the moment. There are some excellent GCs and nurseries, but they tend to be quite inaccessible without a car.
