SAF and the American Floral Endowment (AFE) worked in partnership on the 2016 Generations of Flowers study, with funding provided by the Floral Marketing Research Fund. Check it out in the May issue of Floral Management.
Ever find yourself dismissing twenty-something customers before they even set foot in your store? (They never buy flowers from a florist.) Feel like you can’t quite connect with customers in their 40s and 50s… so why try? (They always seem so busy between work commitments and after-school pick-ups.) Ready to throw in the towel after you spotted a customer in her 60s picking up a bouquet at the supermarket? (Even your most loyal customers appear to do it.)
New research is challenging some of those assumptions and providing serious good news for the floral industry.
In fact, over the past seven years, the potential market for florists has grown significantly across three generations of consumers. From Millennials entering the workforce to Baby Boomers basking in or entering retirement, Americans today have an enhanced appreciation for flowers, fewer perceptions of cost barriers in flower purchasing and a growing awareness of the expertise of local florists.
In the May issue of Floral Management magazine, SAF unveils the results of the groundbreaking 2016 Generations of Flowers Study, commissioned by SAF in partnership it with the American Floral Endowment and funded by the Floral Marketing Research Fund.
The study looks at consumer perceptions, motivations and barriers to buying flowers among three generations. Taken together, the data show “considerable attitudinal and behavioral improvement from the 2009 research,” said Marc Goulet, vice president of client development at Russell Research, which conducted the study.
For SAF Board Director Jo Buttram, AAF, of Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts in Rogers, Arkansas, the results give reason to cheer and present myriad opportunities for local retail florists.
“I cannot tell you how excited I am about this study and the percentages going in the right direction,” said Buttram, one of several SAF volunteer leaders to weigh in on the implications of the exciting results — and how florists can put the news to use right away. Read more.
