What a rip-off!

The urchins and I went to a garden centre yesterday - a chain called Wyvales. It is the Easter hols still, and the kids like to go for a nosey around, perhaps buy some sweets, look at the bird feeders and have a drink in the cafe. All very lovely.

Then we went outside so mum could look at the plants. As we browsed the young vegetable plants, my eyes fell on something which shocked me, and prompted our immediate departure! A small polystyrene strip containing 12 carrot seedlings for £4.49 ($6.93 approx. And these weren't show stopping, jaw dropping huge carrots. They were seedlings of Paris market carrots, the tiny little ball ones, no larger than a marble when mature. Who in their right mind would pay nearly five pounds for 12 carrots???? Even a bag of organic ones is cheaper than that, and a packet of carrot seeds is roughly 99p for over 200 seeds. I can appreciate that someone who only has a window box doesn't want 200 seeds, but I would rather by a packed for 99p and use them several times, or even (shock horror) bin the left overs than spend £4.49 on 12 seedlings!!!!! What a rip off! That is just over 37 pence per carrot. I was so taken aback, we left. I am going to email Wyvales and see what they have to say. Sorry for my rant, but I was furious, as you can tell.

 

What is even worse is that Carrots will not easily transplant, so unless you let them grow on in the container, most of them will not develop either.
The prices of some of these Veg strips are beyond belief. BUT what is even more beyond our understanding is that people actually buy them!! Saw someone walking out with a trolley load on Monday, nearly p... er wet me trousers laughing.

 

EJ, I would do excatly as you did. Our carrots are mostly imported and it is only a very small fraction of that cost!!!

 

Will confess though that we would buy a strip of something which was labelled Greek Parsley (I think) last year. Never seen the seeds of whatever it was and it tasted very nice. Would let it go to seed though so that I could sow it for ourselves.

 

Heavens! What were they marketed as? Luxury carrots?

I know that people don't always think economy when it comes to gardening, and many prefer to buy starts instead of seeds, but this is the first time I've ever heard of carrot starts.

The people probably didn't know what they were buying.

 

I would have done the same as you EJ.That realy is stupid to charge
that kind of price.

 

Oh EJ-- what an infuriating story. I would have also left immediately and then probably pursued it with a letter as well.
I can really feel insulted by things like that for some reason. I see such price gouging on the same level as the store owners saying that I am dumb to my face.
It's ludicrous.

 

All outlets sell things at the prices people are prepared to pay. Garden Centres are no different. The charge stupid prices fro stupid things because stupid people will pay them The prices do not reflect the production costs.
Try and look at it from the point of view of a business trying to make a proffit (which is what a business is there for). If you were selling something you would want the best possible price for it.

 

I know, I agree Eric, it just got to me. I did send an email, but of course, no reply as yet. I appreciate they are a business, but I do feel that something like transplanting teeny carrot seedlings is such a waste of time and energy and enough to put a beginner off gardening.

I must confess, I purchased to aubergine plants today - can never get the darn things to germinate, but at 50pence for the pair, I felt I had bagged a bargain. Now lets see if I can get them to grow!

 

I can't stop chuckling at "urchins", hehehe.

Those prices are simply ridiculous. Its tough though, because its like the argument about shopping big box versus small local stores. I prefer to shop local mom and pop shops, but when they're double the price as say a Home Depot, its hard to justify.