In 1990, there were 3927 nurseries in Western Germany which cultivated
5.1 ha on average and 21,000 ha in total. More than half (60 %) of th
e turnover of those nurseries which are organized in the ''Bund deutsc
her Baumschulen - BdB'' (''German Nurseries Association'') results fro
m nursery products, 32 % from trading, and 8 % from services. Traditio
nally, we find a high concentration of nursery production in two regio
ns which are located in Schleswig-Holstein and in Lower Saxony. Almost
half of the turnover is held by nurseries located in these producing
regions. Another agglomeration of nurseries can be found in North Rhin
e Westphalia. In the rest of the Federal States of Western Germany the
nurseries are in scattered locations. With respect to their main acti
vity, one may distinguish between firms which are exclusively or predo
minantly engaged in production, nurseries that specialise in trading,
and other ones which concentrate on direct marketing to private consum
ers. In contrast to those nurseries dealing directly with private cons
umers, nurseries specialising in production or trading are mainly loca
ted in the producing regions mentioned above. On the market for nurser
y products, the trading partners traditionally use a price list drawn
up by the ''Arbeitsgemeinschaft mittelstandischer Baumschulen - AmB''(
''Working Group of Medium-sized Nurseries'') as an instrument for orie
ntation. The prices taken from this list are handled with rebates whic
h vary according to the customers' position in the market. The require
ment for this system of fixed prices and rebates is to act in tone wit
h respect to rebates. This is only given as far as sales between nurse
ries themselves are concerned. Looking at the other groups of customer
s, it is not. Especially in the sectors of landscape gardening and cus
tomers of public domains, the lowest rebates and greatest variation ca
n be found. The AmB list and the system of fixed prices and flexible r
ebates is still an important orientation platform for the nurserymen t
o calculate their prices. However, in case the applicability of the pr
ice list and the uniform behaviour in granting rebates will continue t
o decrease, there will be no sufficiently realistic basis for price ca
lculation for the nurserymen any more. Four models to reform the price
orientation system have been discussed as possible solutions: a. conc
ept of a 'cartel on trading conditions'', b. concept of an 'anonymous
feedback'', c. concept of comparison of market and list prices'' and d
. concept of . price lists for specified groups of products''. Finally
, it is suggested to develop a price and quantity reporting system bas
ed on regular notations of actual gross prices and of rebates in the d
ifferent market sectors. This will allow for the continuation of the l
ist prices which are then based on reliable market information.