Remember when supermarkets began selling green plants in large volumes in the early 1970s? It was known as the "green plant boom," and plenty of florists profited from it as well. When those sales began to decline in the last half of the decade, supermarkets sought to replace them with fresh cut flowers. This was happening just at a time when fresh cuts were becoming available at lower prices from abroad. It was was the fork in the road for many in the floral industry. The entry of supermarkets launched a new "commodity" market for both flowers and plants, where volume and price seemed to drive the business. This new market thrives today alongside the "old" market, which is governed by the idea of flowers and plants, not as commodities, but as social and emotional expressions. In the traditional market, the driving factors are not volume and price as much as quality, service, and creative styling.
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