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Completed project

Nursery Fund - Consumer usage and attitudes research (NY20002)

Key research provider: The Navigators Community
Publication date: Thursday, July 8, 2021

What was it all about?

This investment delivered consumer insights that will help drive demand in the nursery industry. By providing a greater understanding of usage and attitudes towards nursery products, these insights will be used to improve knowledge and effectiveness of future marketing activities.

The study found that the nursery category appears to be in good health and is poised for growth. The study found a high level of consumer participation in the category with 65 per cent of Australian adults having purchased a plant for indoors or outdoor gardens in the last 12 months. Despite this high level of penetration, there is considerable opportunity to further increase penetration and frequency of plant purchasing. Consumer responses to questions about expected future spend show a strong sense of momentum in the market, with more expecting growth in spending than expecting a decline. This pattern was identified among both those who had purchased plants in the last 12 months and those who had not. 

A consumer segmentation model was developed using responses to questions about the category and involvement and purchase behaviour of indoor and outdoor plants. A total of eight segments were identified, from which, six offer opportunities for growth. The six segments are:

  • Enthusiasts (6 per cent of the market = $270M retail value) - passionate plant people who are heavy buyers in the category of both indoor and outdoor plants, are knowledgeable about gardening and enjoy sharing their love of plants with others through gifting and advice.

  • Garden Proud (17 per cent of the market = $451M retail value) - older homeowners who prioritise their outdoor gardens over indoor plants and greatly value growing their own produce.

  • Early Bloomers (8 per cent of the market = $205M retail value) - moderate to high purchasers of both indoor and outdoor plants who are actively building their knowledge and confidence in the category and have a passion for DIY projects.

  • Small Space Curators (16 per cent of the market = $261M retail value) - people living in apartments and medium density dwellings who are interested in indoor plants and outdoor potted plants for balconies and courtyards to improve the decor and look of their home.

  • Dabblers (17 per cent of the market = $168M retail value) - people who want to have a nice looking garden but are not particularly interested or enthusiastic about spending time tending to plants and gardens.

  • Plant Curious (7 per cent of the market = $12M retail value) - underconfident and inexperienced people who haven’t purchased plants recently despite being more interested in plants than other nonbuyers.

ACT NOW

You can watch a video presentation about the report here.

Learn more about the six segments in this summary.

Related levy funds
Details

This project was a strategic levy investment in the Hort Innovation Nursery Fund