Increasing sales and reducing waste of cut flowers in retail

The waste of cut flowers is both a huge sustainability issue as well as an economical one. The OptiBoost technology has proven to be a solution and has proven results within retail.

Cut flowers that are treated with the OptiBoost™ technology gain several advantages. The most prominent one is that the life expectancy of the flowers is increased. A flower that looks better AND is produced more sustainably...of course brings a lot of benefits for retailers. Below we'll guide you through how it works and what benefits to expect as a retailer.

Cut flowers are an appreciated product around the globe. It is a large market worth around $55 billion, USD a year.

But behind many of the beautiful bouquets lies a significant environmental impact.

Transportation, often by air and onwards by truck, the use of pesticides, energy, and water usage – this sum’s up to quite an impact.

A lot of resources are used to bring the cut flowers from the grower to the consumer…IF they reach the consumer.

Somewhere between 30-50 billion cut flowers worldwide are produced each year. An estimated 15-25% of this is wasted. Flowers that never reach the end consumer but are simply discarded.

A huge footprint and all for nothing. The consequences are several, from a sustainability perspective, a big problem is created in terms of waste management. Economically, waste management is also a concern with costs related to handling. But perhaps above all the wastage is lost revenue for retailers and stores.

So how do we make the flower industry more sustainable? New technology is one way forward.

OptiBoost - game-changing technology for flower retailers

El OptiBoost technology was developed to tackle these issues.OptiBoost is based on Vacuum Infusion (VI). It is a technique with which external liquids can be introduced into porous structures such as plant tissue. By exposing the flowers to a vacuum we “boost” them with a nano-based nutrient solution. 

The flower is exposed by vacuum in a treatment chamber and a nano-based nutrient solution is impregnated into its cells.

Increased sales of cut flowers for Swedish retailers

In 2021 we’ve launched a pilot test in collaboration with the wholesaler APH with one of Sweden’s largest retailers. During a 16-week trial throughout 100 supermarkets in Sweden, great results were achieved with OptiBoost-treated roses.

The final results were quite amazing:

  • increase of 36% in sales

  • waste was reduced by 50%.

The Pilot with Dagab y Axfood Group led to a long-term partnership and the ambition to boost all of their cut flowers in the long run.

Another example is ICA Toppen Höllviken, one of Sweden’s most prominent grocery stores and supermarkets. In mid-April 2021, they decided to try selling OptiBoost-treated roses.

The results:

  • 15% increase in sales
  • 25% lower wastage
  • 50% increased gross profit

How to implement the technology

We are happy to explore the options for your business. Connect with us today and let’s find out what impact OptiBoost will have on your sales of cut flowers and on your waste. Fill out the form below and we will contact you shortly.

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