Consumers General Outlook on Gardening – There are two distinct ways that gardeners look upon gardening:
- Necessity and a chore
- Pleasure and an active hobby
Both groups enjoy the final outcome, but one enjoys the journey and one doesn’t. If gardening is a chore, they want short cuts/quick fix & convenient solutions. For enthusiasts, delivering something new / different is the key to sustaining interest.
Benefits of Gardening:
- Therapy – Mental Relaxation
- Relieves Stress
- Physical Exercise
- Creative Outlet
- Fresh Air – Healthy & Rejuvenating
Benefits of the Finished Product:
- Sense of Achievement
- Pride
- Sensory Stimulation
- Adds Value to Home
Drawbacks of Gardening:
- Time Consuming
- Needs Constant Attention
- Can be Expensive
- Physical Effort
- Disappointment (plants die, not as planned etc.)
- Dirt / Mud – Messy
The above present marketing opportunities to provide solutions to these drawbacks, specialist clothing, cleaning products, labour saving devices etc.
5 Key Barriers to Consideration of Gardening:
- Lack of interest / pride (More influential)
- Lack of Knowledge/Skills
- Poor Weather
- Time Poor / Daylight Hours
- Home Ownership (Less Influential)
Triggers for the consideration of gardening:
- Time of Year
- Good Weather
- Older Lifestyles
- Interest / Pride
- Knowledge / Skill
- Media Noise
- Other Gardens
Conclusion
So, here we can see that there are 2 key things that influence our desire for gardening:
- TIME
- FEELING OF BEING PERSONALLY FULFILLED
These are all key themes which can be enhanced or spoiled by weather.
We cannot control the weather, apart from encouraging an all weather garden lifestyle. However, the strongest selling motivator is the HOPE of a beautiful Spring or Summer day in the garden – enjoying and sharing the spoils of your hard work and financial/time investment.
Source: bordbia – Garden Market Recent Consumer Research Findings
