| “One of the best things about the success of the Independent Garden Centre (IGC) Show is that it has given us the means to underwrite a major industry research project. With last year’s profits, we targeted the challenge our industry grapples with in convincing time-pressed Gen X and Gen Y consumers to get into gardening.
As baby boomers age, IGCs primary demographic is moving towards Gen X and Gen Y. It is more important than ever for the industry to understand what these consumers want. For independents to continue to succeed in the years to come, we must change the way we merchandise, market and sell.
The results of this proprietary study, ‘Gen X and Gen Y: What IGCs Need to Know to Profit from the New Gardener’, were presented to IGC Show attendees in Chicago in August 2008.
Here is a quick look at just a few of our findings:
Add Some Romance to Your Marketing – Sell to Couples – Conventional wisdom says we should target women, the primary gardening consumer among boomers. Not so with the younger set. Gen X and Gen Y couples are far more collaborative in their purchase decisions when it comes to gardening. In fact, the men are usually the ones out in the yard digging in.
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Hook ‘Em with Veggie Gardening – Vegetable gardening is the gateway category that gets Gen X and Gen Y consumers into gardening for the first time. Their strong wellness-mindset drives the interest: “If I grow it myself, it’s better for me.”
DIY with an Eye Toward Instant Impact – Gen X and Gen Y homeowners prefer to do their own planting. The key is to make it easy for them. These consumers, many with young families, don’t have a lot of time to spend figuring out how to do it for themselves.”
Jeff Morey, Nursery Retailer, September/October, 2008.
www.NurseryRetailer.com
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