connect-2-consumer's podcast

A great example of a field study was orchestrated by Joe Perlaky, Executive Director for the Maumee Valley Growers (Ohio). This week, Bridget and Joe discuss the findings of their 2021 study. Purchases were made many times in 5-7 seconds and most often by women. Compared to the older customers, the younger age cohorts took longer to make a purchase decision, perhaps because it was among their first purchases. Some individuals who considered the purchase too long didn’t make a purchase, perhaps because they decided it wasn’t worth it. Employees who noticed customers considering a purchase for a long time helped by asking questions of the potential customer. Empty spaces on the bench seemed to attract some attention, too.

Bridget has Joe Perlaky, Executive Director for the Maumee Valley Growers (Ohio), as a guest this week. He orchestrated a great example of a field study earlier this spring. Growers, wholesalers, and retailers can benefit from what Joe and his grower/retailers did and saw. With a Specialty Crop Block Grant, the group investigated generational differences in plant purchases. Working with four retailers and 1-2 displays in each store, they used motion-activated security cameras to study who stopped and made a purchase from those monitored displays. They had over 10,000 camera events to study. The group used merchandise that was moderately priced but added some lower-priced items soon after the start of the study. Using Blink cameras with only the video, they were able to better understand who bought plants in those stores. We discuss the results next week.

Dr. Pat Huddleston is back on the show this week to discuss some recent research on the first luxury or splurge item that Americans purchased during COVID. With 360 responses, they found the most frequently mentioned category was entertainment (e.g. video games and puzzles).  Nearly 10% bought something for the home with some specifically mentioning plants (with $40 to $60 in expenditures). Pleasure and mood improvement were the two most cited purchase motivations. Food for thought as business plan their spring 2022 communications with consumers.

Bridget and Trey Malone surveyed a national sample of 1350 consumers last November about their plans for holiday horticulture purchases. What they learned may help you market plants, trees, garland, wreaths and more in 2021. Bridget shares four take-home messages from that study.

Dr. Patricia Huddleston is back on the show this week to talk about sales projections for the upcoming holiday season and what it might mean to retailers and shoppers. She says the projections are already out, earlier than in previous years especially because shoppers have started their holiday shopping ALREADY and anticipate continued supply chain issues. Employee shortages will certainly affect many dimensions of holiday shopping, including package delivery. Provide realistic expectations on delivery. It may be helpful to some customers to provide some home décor ideas for gift givers, too!

Leslie Halleck is back as a guest to talk about working with plant influencers. Many plant influencers have their roots outside the industry and are energetic, enthusiastic, engaged amateur (as in plants aren't their profession) influencers who truly do influence consumers and their plant perceptions. Leslie's new adventure with Maria Failla (Bloom and Grow Radio) revives the Plant Society of days gone by. In this offline space, members can interact virtually with the benefits of plant societies that had members enrapt with their plants. Bridget and Leslie talk about this new type of consumer interaction.

Bridget and her guest Katie Elzer-Peters talk about fall festivals and how community involvement can be an incremental step to recruiting more new customers. Pop-up markets are another means to take a limited product offering out into the community to build awareness of your business operation.

Returning guest this week is Katie Elzer-Peters. Bridget and Katie continue their conversation which migrates to micromarketing. Do you have a couch? You might consider yard-sale or second-hand store shopping so you can display this cool Instagram worthy spot and adorning it with some trendy houseplants. As Katie says, "the youths" will flock to it and you might even sell the couch!

We have many women in the horticulture industry, but do we still have a problem with where women are in the industry? This week, Bridget and her guest Leslie Halleck recap some of the conversations in and out-of the luncheon at Cultivate21 hosted by AmericanHort and Syngenta (thanks to them both!).

With summer coming to a close and schools back in session, it's time to turn our attention to fall decorating! The Pantone company released their fall 2021 colors earlier this year and now is the time to take a look at them and plan some fall displays. Consumers will be primed to see these colors in digital and print media, so incorporating them into your displays (and selling plants with those flower colors) will be easier. It's also a great time to think about the fall decorating package(s). Consider offering them in regular, super, and premium (three price points) to boost sales of the intermediate offering.