Johnsons Lawn Seed is challenging retailers to question the quantity of lawn seed in their suppliers’ boxes, as well as the quality.

In a trend that started in our supermarkets and is now shaping much of the wider UK retail market, many suppliers are reducing the overall content of their product. Total weights are being reduced whilst packaging continues to increase in size to give the illusion of added value, with prices remaining static. As a result, say Johnsons, retailers are being short-changed and consumers are feeling the impact in their pockets.

Guy Jenkins from the UK’s largest grass seed producer, DLF Trifolium (which owns the market-leading Johnsons Lawn Seed brand) said: “We are notoriously a nation that likes to feel as though we are getting more for our money, often making purchasing decisions based on added-extras or multi-buy deals. However many lawn seed suppliers are using this against the consumer and retailer, as in many cases the product – both before and after promotion -  still weighs less than it once did.

“As a result, consumers are going to feel short-changed when their purchase fails to go further than expected, compounding the sense of dissatisfaction that they may also feel if they are unlucky enough to purchase the low grade lawn seed blends that many suppliers are presently bringing to market. The knock-on effect to retailers will be a decreased consumer confidence, which will ultimately lead to fewer sales being made.”

He urged retailers to work closely with the supply chain to ensure that quality and quantity expectations are maintained and the industry’s reputation protected. “Through talking with our retail customers – in particular one of the UK’s fastest growing retailers -  it has come as no surprise that those which focus on looking after their customers by refusing to downsize quantities, and recognise that value for money and quality are not mutually exclusive, maintain higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty,” he added.

Johnsons Lawn Seed products have been packaged so that each box services the increasing scale of the average lawn size, ranging from 10m2 to 200m2. The brand’s website – www.johnsonslawnseed.com - also features a special tool designed to help consumers calculate how much seed they need for either overseeding or new lawn creation.