The Plant Lounge, an established plant shop in Nundah, was among the plant shops in Brisbane compelled to shut down permanently despite doing well during the Covid pandemic.
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The Plant Lounge, a boutique nursery which opened at Buckland Road in 2019 has announced its closure in social media, leaving some of its patrons feeling disheartened.
“When we started, we were excited to bring indoor plants into your lives, and that enthusiasm is still with us. However, owning a retail business in these times of instability has been challenging,” the post reads.
“We will miss our community dearly, and we hope you will continue to support small businesses. Unless you make use of your locals, they will keep disappearing,” owners Rhiannon and Dave Meertens shared on a Facebook post.
“It pains us to say it, but YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS! Otherwise, we will end up with a monopoly on pricing and no point of difference,” they added.
The reasons behind the closure of many plant shops in Brisbane include concerns about interest rate hikes and other issues affecting small businesses.
The Plant Lounge revealed that their current earnings are approximately one-tenth of what they were making two years ago.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a surge of customers for plant shops as people spent more time indoors, had more disposable income, and were motivated to enhance the comfort of their living spaces.
With the closure of their beloved Nundah plant shop, the owners are now shifting their focus to their full-time jobs.
A survey during the Covid-19 pandemic suggests 75 percent of respondents were spending more time in their gardens, with many embarking on new projects.Around 98 percent of all the respondents say spending time in the garden improved their mood.
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Customers are encouraged to take advantage of their final sale by visiting the store before it closes on 30 April 2023. Gift vouchers will be accepted.
The Plant Lounge is located at 90 Buckland Road, Nundah. They are open daily, except on Mondays.
Published 17-April-2023