Evolving Markets:
A New Generation of Gardeners Arrives
Millennials and Gen Z love plants (like a lot). According to a survey conducted in 2019 by the National Gardening Association,
Americans spent a record a record $52.3 billion on lawn and garden retail. 18-34 year olds account for a quarter of that spending.
This, despite having lower household incomes and being far more likely to live in an apartment than older generations. Millennials, in particular, are changing the way Americans garden.
Once a hobby for upper middle class home owners, Millennials are taking the love of leafy friends indoors, into city life, and for new reasons. Shifting what it looks like to be an adult, they get married later, hold off on having children longer (even when they are married), and aren’t buying homes as often.
Indoor plants have become a kind of self-care that was already trending before the pandemic, but with the Covid lockdowns starting in 2020, indoor plant purchases skyrocketed as people looked for hobbies that made home feel more like home.
Smaller plant varieties that do well in pottery and indoors are a natural choice for a generation that is more mobile and less rooted in one place. And, like most of us, Millennials are deeply influenced by social media. On instagram, rare plant communities have been growing in popularity, grabbing the attention of new gardeners while delivering a new enthusiasm to the market. Rarer and trendier varieties, in particular, have created a customer base that's also more interested in boutique pottery designs. These are generally younger customers who are drawn to novel, interesting plants and pottery.
The market is evolving as a new generation matures into plant lovers. Here are a few things you can do now to revive your offerings and grow with the market:
