Ornamental plants in France

Last year French consumers spent around € 3.24 bn on ornamental plants, € 2.3 bn on cut flowers and houseplants and € 956 mio on outdoor greenery. These figures come from the organisers of the Salon du Végétal, a horticultural fair that is due to be held in Angers, France, from 15 to 17 February 2011. Their information also reports that the greater part of these sales is achieved by specialist garden businesses, including just on 15 000 flower shops and 1 862 garden centres (2009). Other channels of distribution, such as grocery retailing, agricultural dealers and large-format DIY stores, account for a share of 17 per cent.