South African shoppers are the latest to receive the seedling kits that were a hit with shoppers in the Netherlands, New Zealand and France.
Shoprite Checkers launched the Little Garden campaign almost a month ago and the public’s response on social media shows that the initiative has hit the right note with a South African public weary of dispiriting political and economic news. Many consumers note that these biodegradable pots are far preferable to the plastic figurines of previous loyalty programmes and many laud their contribution in sparking an interest in gardening among children. One Twitter user quipped that he’s just waiting for land expropriation to plant out his seedlings.
The seedling kits consist of a compostable cardboard pot, a capsule of dehydrated coco peat and a small paper square embedded with seeds. There are 24 different vegetable, herbs and edible flowers available, many are obvious choices (lettuce, cherry tomatoes, rocket) and some not so well-known as an ingredient, like baby's breath (gypsophila).
Dutch company UNGA, responsible for similar campaigns in New Zealand and France, was Checkers’ fulfilment agency in this loyalty project. They've previously worked together on a South African Little Shop campaign.
This is the start of the South African winter, perhaps not the most obvious time to launch the campaign (in New Zealand it was timed to coincide with the start of spring) but Checkers says that the South African climate is surprisingly forgiving and that the majority of the seedlings can be grown in colder months, making them suitable to plant this time of the year.
South African shoppers are getting a good deal on their seedling kits: when Albert Heijn ran a similar moestuintje campaign earlier this year, shoppers had to spend 15 euros (R221) and two years ago in New Zealand, shoppers received a seedling kit after spending NZ$40 (R345). South African shoppers only have to spend R150 (10 euros) to receive a seedling kit.
Well-known vegetable gardener and writer Jane Griffiths has raised the matter of the provenance of the seedling kits, which are assembled in Poland, instead of supporting local seed and growth medium suppliers, but Checkers has countered that the whole package was put together by their fulfilment agency which was able to provide the necessary volumes to service all of their stores across the country.