We Asked
- Where do you typically buy your native plants?
- Select other retailers where you’ve also purchased native plants
Consumers Answered
Local independent nurseries are the top source for native plants, with 43.40% of respondents preferring these retailers. Big box stores came in at 15.48%, showing less prominence for native plants. Plant swaps and community events made up 10.41%, and online purchases accounted for 7.61%, indicating that while e-commerce is growing, in-person purchases remain dominant.
In secondary choices, big box retailers gained ground (26.65%), and online purchases increased to 23.86%. While 25.13% still favor local nurseries, many gardeners also turn to alternative sources like plant swaps (24.11%). These results show that gardeners primarily trust local nurseries but are willing to explore other channels for additional purchases.
Purchasing native plants online is significantly higher as a secondary choice than the primary option (24% vs. 8%), indicating growth opportunities.
Where do you typically buy your native plants?
Select other retailers where you've also purchased native plants
"Buy Native Plants" - Google Searches Over Time
In addition to our survey findings, Google Trends data over the last five years reveals a steadily growing interest in purchasing native plants. Note that this search term does not indicate an interest in buying online specifically, only a general interest. It is noteworthy that the dips during a single year coincide with the general gardening cycle in most of North America (heavy focus on spring and early summer), indicating marketing and educational opportunities since it is a growing segment
Interpreting mixed signals is not easy when planning for 2024
- Check back for updates to this particular Insight in Jan/Feb, sentiments will have likely changed
- Be clear about the reasons for having increased your prices
- Consumer balance sheets are still reasonably strong, but the trend is down – consider a strategy to sell to capacity as early as possible in 2023, before consumers are running out of cash and are forced to turn to credit.
By Demographics
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