DIYWEEK.net

Homebase has become the first national home improvement and garden retailer to add its complete plant range to the SmartPlant App, giving customers the confidence to choose exactly the right plant for their home and garden. 

After a year-long successful trial with Homebase, the SmartPlant App will offer a free digital plant caring assistant with every plant purchase.

All customers will need to do is download the app following their purchase of either an indoor or outdoor plant, scan the barcode on the plant, and they’ll get free, personalised, monthly plant care instructions reminders direct to their smartphone

Approximately 95% of the British and European plant growers who supply Homebase have already signed up to the SmartPlant App. The remainder of its suppliers will onboard by the end of 2020. The app – which is fully integrated with Amazon Alexa offering the chance to ask plant care questions hands-free – has rolled out to all their Homebase stores nationally.

SmartPlant is the only app in the world that allows users to speak directly with plant experts via the app, receiving a personal tailored response to all their plant queries within 24 hours.

David Gillespie, plant buyer at Homebase, said: “When buying plants, our customers will now have expert advice at their fingertips thanks to our extended partnership with SmartPlant. We’ve been helping customers bring plants into their homes and gardens for over 35 years, and along with our in-store experts, customers can now have the confidence to buy the plants they want to grow. They will also have better information as to how to care and look after them to make them look better for longer.

The SmartPlant App, which was launched in 2017, allows customers to unlock information about specific varieties of plants by scanning the QR code on plant labels at Homebase with their mobile phones, as well as provide ongoing information about at-home care. Customers can sign up to receive regular updates in the form of videos and top tips from over 100 garden experts such as Huw Richards & Chelsea award winner, Raymond Evison, on how to look after their plants successfully.