Bord Bia marketing and development specialist, Carol Marks summarises results from a recent survey designed to pin down consumer behaviour, attitudes, and influences to gardening in Ireland
This national and extensive gardening study, conducted in conjunction with Red C, set out to explore consumer behaviour, attitudes, and influences, which are driving decision making around the purchase of plants and garden products in Ireland today. The study explored in detail typical gardening habits and spending patterns. It also set out to evaluate who the gardeners of the future are and looked at key trends and market forces that are likely to influence gardeners, potential gardeners and the garden of the future.
The study unearthed some interesting findings, including the fact that there are about 1.3m regular gardeners in Ireland, that’s around 980,000 households. In line with previous studies, it highlights that relative to the total population 63% of gardeners are female and account for 60% of the total spend on gardening.
The study revealed a number of different segments of gardeners, each offering different opportunities to the garden industry:
ENTHUSIASTS
Regularly engage in some type of gardening and love it
ACTIVES
Do gardening regularly and quite like it
DEVELOPERS
Do some gardening now, and would like to do more in future
FLEDGLINGS
Don’t garden much but have a desire to do so in the near future
These final two segments are vitally important to the gardening industry in terms of future business.
Here are some interesting teasers arising from the study;
● 58% of adults buy plants and flowers for their garden every six months or more often; that’s 2,088,000 people.
● One in five Dublin homes has no space to garden, which also means that four in five do.
● A quarter of a million of us grows vegetables.
● Over half of gardeners have a patio or decking area, one in three have a BBQ.
● Four in 10 gardeners say it is an important space for entertaining.
● Almost all gardeners believe it is good for your mental health. And nine in 10 believe it’s good for physical health too.
● Almost three in four gardeners like to show off their gardens.
● Unsurprisingly, the weather limits activity for seven out of 10 gardening.
● Cost holds 58% of them back too as does lack of time for 44%.
● Nearly nine in 10 gardeners find shopping for the garden a pleasure, they also love cutting flowers, planting out and harvesting.
● Gardeners expect to spend more next year on bedding plants and flowers, but less on landscaping, sheds, buildings, and outdoor leisure and furniture.
● Six in 10 have seen the Bord Bia Quality Mark on plants and flowers. Four in 10 believe these plants are worth paying more for due to quality, environmental considerations and confidence that they will grow here.
● Our garden centers are the top source of inspiration for gardeners. They are seen as the best option for quality and range.
Grace Binchy, Insight and Innovation specialist with Bord Bia, will give a detailed presentation at The Learning Theatre at the GLAS show in the City West Hotel on 20 July, There will be two opportunities to attend the session, one at 12 noon and the second one at 2.15pm. For further information contact carol.marks@bordbia.ie ✽
CAROL MARKS is a Marketing and Business development specialist with Bord Bia. If you have any questions or comments about the content of this feature you can contact her via Carol.Marks@bordbia.ie
