Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Consumers’ confidence set to wane as uncertainty clouds future sentiment
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- Figure 1: “How would you generally describe your financial situation at the moment?”, January 2018-March 2020
- Mother’s Day the most popular event for gifting flowers
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- Figure 2: Percentage of consumers who bought flowers as gifts for seasonal events in 2019 and 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on cut flowers and houseplants
- COVID-19 set to disrupt the entire supply chain
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- Figure 3: Short, medium- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the broader retail category, flower and houseplant sectors, 2020
- Companies and brands
- Advertising spend on flowers and houseplants grows in 2019
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- Figure 4: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by year, 2015-19
- Sustainability is a key area for innovation and launch activity
- The consumer
- Over half of consumers purchased flowers in the past year
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- Figure 5: Flowers and houseplants purchased in the past 12 months, March 2020
- Houseplants attract a higher spend for last purchase compared to flowers
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- Figure 6: How much shoppers spent during their last purchase of flowers and houseplants, March 2020
- Shoppers willing to spend more on flowers as gifts
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- Figure 7: Shopping behaviours for flowers, March 2020
- Houseplants are a welcome addition to the home/workspace for wellbeing benefits
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- Figure 8: Shopping behaviours for Houseplants, March 2020
- Consumers are interested in flowers/houseplants with sustainable wrappings/pots
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- Figure 9: Interest in flower and houseplant innovations, March 2020
- What we think
Impact of COVID-19 on Cut Flowers and Houseplants
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- Short-, medium- and long-term impact on the industry
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- Figure 10: Short-, medium- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the broader retail category, flower and houseplant sectors, 2020
- Short term
- Medium term
- Long term
- Opportunities and Threats
- Lost trade in peak season will not be replaced, leading to a strain on retailers
- Help consumers bring the outdoors indoors
- Encourage consumers to trade up even when disposable incomes are squeezed
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- Figure 11: The Flower Council of Holland’s ‘Let Hope Bloom’ campaign, 2020
- Open direct channels of distribution to consumers
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- Figure 12: Plant Pack delivery service, 2020
- Engage with consumers online with DIY workshops and Q&A
- Tap into the sense of community post COVID-19
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- Figure 13: Changes in shopping habits, May 14-May 21, 2020
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- Figure 14: Early Hours Ltd installation for the NHS, 2020
- Impact on the cut flowers and houseplant market
- A perfect storm
- Disruption in the supply chain
- Local and independent florists will struggle
- Shifts in consumer behaviour
- Seeing family and friends is a priority post lockdown
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- Figure 15: Activities consumers look forward to post lockdown, April 30-May7, 2020
- Behaviours shift online
- A COVID-19 related recession will impact key consumer groups
- Consumers take up traditional hobbies in lockdown
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the industry
- Consumers cut back on non-essential spending
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- Figure 16: Changes in shopping habits due to COVID-19, May 14-May21, 2020
- Consumers worry about the impact on UK economy
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- Figure 17: Consumers worry about impact of COVID-19 on cost of living, May 14-May 21, 2020
- Impact on the marketing mix
- Price:
- Product:
- Promotion:
- Place:
- COVID-19: UK context
Issues and Insights
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- How can retailers attract younger consumers to buying flowers/houseplants?
- The facts
- The implications
- Create an experience and make it personal
- Make it trendy and ‘Instagrammable’
- How can retailers tap into the gifting market with houseplants?
- The facts
- The implications
- Promote wellbeing
- Collaborate to promote houseplant ranges
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Consumers’ confidence set to wane as uncertainty clouds future sentiment
- Mother’s Day a popular event to buy flowers
- Changing trends in the population structure
Market Drivers
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- Real wage growth in 2019 outpaces inflation
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- Figure 18: Real wage growth -Average weekly earnings vs inflation, January 2016-February 2020
- Prices are the biggest concern post-Brexit
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- Figure 19: Consumer views on the impact of the EU referendum, January 2020
- Consumers’ confidence set to wane as uncertainty clouds future sentiment
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- Figure 20: How would you generally describe your financial situation at the moment?”, January 2020
- Changing trends in the population structure
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- Figure 21: Changes in population structure, 2019-29
- Figure 22: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2019-29
- Weddings cancelled amid COVID-19
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- Figure 23: Number of marriages in thousands in England and wales, 2003-17
- Deaths rise during COVID-19 but funerals to be held virtually
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- Figure 24: Number of deaths in thousands in England and wales, 2003-2016
- Figure 25: Number of marriages and deaths, in thousands, 2003-16
- Mother’s Day a popular event to buy flowers for
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- Figure 26: Percentage of consumers who bought flowers as gifts for seasonal occasions in 2019 and 2020
- Regulations and policies impacting the market
- EU Plant Health Regulations
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Advertising expenditure on flowers and houseplants increased 12% in 2019
- TV dominated advertising spending on flowers and houseplants
- Sustainability is a key area for innovation and launch activity.
Launch Activity and Innovations
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- Cut flowers are an important gift during seasonal events
- Morrisons unicorn and llama inspired flowers
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- Figure 27: Morrisons Llama and Unicorn flowers, 2019
- Lush’s Valentine’s Day pop-up
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- Figure 28: Lush Flowers and houseplants at Oxford Street, 2020
- Wellbeing and health trend driving demand in houseplants
- Indoor Garden Design and IKEA collaborate at Chelsea Flower Show 2019
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- Figure 29: Indoor Garden design installation in collaboration with IKEA, 2018
- Sustainability a key area for innovation
- Waitrose’s ‘Unpacked’ flowers
- The Parfum Flower Company reveals dried garden roses bouquets
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- Figure 30: Dried garden roses from The Parfum Flower Company, 2019
- FloraLife reveals recyclable flower food sachets
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- Figure 31: Recyclable flower food sachets by FloraLife, 2019
- IKEA and Tom Dixon urban farming concept
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- Figure 32: ‘Gardening Will Save the World’ show garden designed by Tom Dixon and Ikea, 2019
- Pass it On Plantable candles
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- Figure 33: Plantable candles by Pass It On, 2019
- Online solutions for convenience
- Interflora and Alexa
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- Figure 34: Interflora and Alexa tie-up, 2019
- Homebase collaborate with SmartPlant app
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- Figure 35: Smartplant collaboration with Homebase, 2019
- Specialists launches own-label houseplant ranges
- Dobbies’ ‘easy houseplant’ range
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- Figure 36: Dobbies ‘Easy care’ houseplant range, 2019
- W6 Garden Centre invests in new plant section
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- Figure 37: W6GC's Green Room, November 2019
- Interflora collaboration with Slug and lettuce
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- Figure 38: Interflora and Slug and Lettuce collaboration, 2019
- Bloomscape plants available on west elm
- Non-specialists tap into the blooming houseplant and flower market
- Jo Malone masterclasses
- M&S Little Gardens
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- Figure 39: M&S’ ‘Little Gardens’ seedling kit, 2020
- IKEA easy care houseplants
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- Figure 40: Easy care plants, 2019
- Lush Fresh & Flowers in Paris
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- Figure 41: Lush Fresh &Flowers in Paris, 2019
- Selfridges flower collaboration with Aoyama
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertising spend on flowers and houseplants grows in 2019
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- Figure 42: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by year, 2019
- Lidl biggest advertiser of flowers and houseplants in 2019
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- Figure 43: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by leading retailers, 2015-19
- TV dominates ad spend
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- Figure 44: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by media type, 2019
- Key marketing campaigns
- ‘We need more flowers’ campaign by Flower Council of Holland
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- Figure 45: We need more flowers campaign by Funnyhowflowersdothat, 2019
- Thanks Plants! Campaign by Flower Council of Holland
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- Figure 46: Thanks plants campaign by thejoyofplants, 2018
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Flowers and houseplants are enjoyed by consumers across age groups
- Higher spend level on houseplants compared to flowers for consumers last purchase
- Flowers and houseplants are purchased multiple times a year
- Supermarkets the go-to place for flowers and houseplants
- Shoppers are willing to spend more on flowers as a gift
- Consumers are interested in flowers/houseplants with sustainable wrapping/pots
Who Buys Flowers and Houseplants
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- More than half of consumers purchased flowers in the past year
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- Figure 47: Consumers who have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, March 2020
- Broad age appeal for both flowers and houseplants
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- Figure 48: Consumers who have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, by age group, March 2020
How Often They Buy Flowers and Houseplants
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- Shoppers buy flowers and houseplants multiple times in a year
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- Figure 49: How often consumers have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, March 2020
- 16-24s most frequent buyers for flowers and houseplants
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- Figure 50: How often consumers have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, by age group, March 2020
How They Shop for Flowers and Houseplants
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- Stores capture the majority of flower and houseplant purchases
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- Figure 51: How consumers have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, March 2020
- 16-24s shop for flowers and houseplants online via smartphones
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- Figure 52: How consumers have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, by age group, March 2020
Which Retailer They Use to Buy Flowers and Houseplants
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- Supermarkets are the go-to place for flowers and houseplants
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- Figure 53: Where consumers have purchased flowers and/or houseplants in the past 12 months, March 2020
How Much is Spent on Flowers and Houseplants
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- Shoppers spend more on houseplants than flowers for their last purchase
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- Figure 54: How much shoppers spent during their last purchase on flowers and/or houseplants, March 2020
- 16-34s spend the most on flowers
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- Figure 55: How much shoppers spent during their last purchase on flowers, by age group, March 2020
- 16-24s spend most on houseplants
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- Figure 56: How much shoppers spent during their last purchase on houseplants, by age group, March 2020
Shopping Behaviours for Flowers
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- Gifting provides further opportunities for retailers
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- Figure 57: Shopping Behaviours for Flowers, March 2020
- Older consumers are willing to spend more on flowers for gifting
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- Figure 58: Shopping behaviours for Flowers, by age group March 2020
- 16-34s prefer to buy locally sourced flowers
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- Figure 59: Shopping Behaviours for Flowers, by age group, March 2020
- Young consumers want more personalisation options and rely and retailers for advice
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- Figure 60: Shopping Behaviours for Flowers, by age group, March 2020
Shopping Behaviours for Houseplants
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- Houseplants are a welcome addition to the home/workspace for its wellbeing benefits
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- Figure 61: Shopper Behaviours for Houseplants, March 2020
- Older consumers think houseplants are good when space is limited
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- Figure 62: Shopper Behaviours for Houseplants, by age group, March 2020
- 16-34s use social media for inspiration and rely on retailers for advice
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- Figure 63: Shopping Behaviours for Houseplants, by age group, March 2020
Interest in Innovations
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- Consumers interested in flowers/houseplants with sustainable wrapping/pots
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- Figure 64: Interest in flower and houseplant innovations, March 2020
- 16-24s interested in innovations focused on longevity
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- Figure 65: Interest in flower and houseplant innovations, by age group, March 2020
- 25-44 age group interested in long-term care for houseplants and flowers
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- Figure 66: Interest in flower and houseplant innovations, by age group, March 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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