PMA’s consumer sentiment research aims to provide insight into how COVID 19 pandemic is impacting consumer shopping trends for floral. This is directional information that can help guide PMA and its members with their messaging to consumers during this uncertainty.
In the US and UK, about 65% of previous floral purchasers say they have purchased floral department products since the COVID 19 outbreak while in Germany over 75% purchased floral products since the outbreak showing that the floral industry lost approximately 25 -35% of its loyal purchasers during the pandemic.
More than half of floral purchasers in the US and UK say they have bought less flowers/house plants/balloons since the COVID 19 outbreak (54% and 57%, respectively). But in Germany, only 36% say they are buying less with the plurality (47%) saying they are buying the same amount. Floral products are a discretionary income purchase which historically are affected during a recession or in times when incomes decline.
Most respondents in the US, UK and Germany are purchasing their floral products in supermarkets and mass merchandisers, although florist and home improvement stores are important outlets in Germany for floral purchases.
There is some consistency about the reasons for purchasing less across all 3 markets: 1. Shopping less frequently, 2. Not top-of-mind/a priority now, and 3. I usually buy them as gifts for special occasions or holidays and it is hard to celebrate those these days. Although, there is a greater percent of respondents concerned about safety and cleanliness in the US.
Among those who are buying more, the primary reasons are also consistent: 1. They make me happy, 2. House plants give me something to do, and 3. I am spending more time at home to want to spruce up my surroundings. The joy of floral products continues to be a great marketing message for the industry to rally behind.
About twenty-five percent of consumers across the 3 markets say they will purchase less floral products from supermarkets and thirty percent say they will purchase less floral products from mass merchandisers in the future. Online is also expected to be down with about 35% of respondents expecting to purchase less floral products from this channel.
Methodology: Source: Wave 1 data was collected on May 4 in the US, UK and Germany. IPSOS N = 500 in each country. Research conducted among 500 respondents in each country, age 18+ who purchased floral products prior to the COVID 19 crisis.
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