Episode 502: New Findings on Consumer Attitudes About Domestic & Locally-Grown Flowers with Dave Whitinger and Paul Cohen of the 2021 National Gardening Survey

Since Slow Flowers Society's roots were established in 2013, there is a perennial question I've been asked over and over: How Do We Know if Consumers Care about Local Flowers?I strongly believe having a statistically-accurate snapshot of people's attitudes is one important way the Slow Flowers Movement can demonstrate and help move the needle on this subject. Yet, I’m aware of only two surveys that ever asked consumers about their attitudes toward domestic and local cut flowers -- one in 2013 conducted by the California Grown Association and one in 2019 conducted for the Washington Flowers Project in my region. Clearly, we need research metrics to measure and document how awareness and attitudes are changing around one of the most important topics of the Slow Flowers Movement. Read more background on past Consumer surveys here At the beginning of 2021, Slow Flowers Society began to collaborate with and invested in the well-respected National Gardening Survey, which has been conducted annually since 1973. Now, for the first time, the National Gardening Survey has established benchmarks around consumer attitudes on domestic and locally-grown cut flowers. The findings are so encouraging and we now have a statistically accurate tool to use to track changes and shifts in future years. Dave Whitinger (left) and Paul Cohen (right), our guests today I'm so pleased today to welcome the two men responsible for the 2021 National Gardening Survey, David Whitinger, National Gardening Association executive director, and Paul Cohen, research director and a professor in the Department of Business Administration at Carleton University and principal of Paul Cohen & Associates. Dave and Paul will explain more about the National Gardening Survey, which is the comprehensive market research report that leaders in the lawn and garden industry count on each year to track consumer shifts and help them make strategic marketing decisions. The Survey provides in-depth and up-to-date marketing information on industry trends, household participation, consumer profiles and retail sales. Nearly 2,500 U.S. households respond each year to an array of questions about their behavior and spending power in the lawn and garden space. Companies in the gardening industry financially support the research and sales of this year's 361-page report provide revenue for the National Gardening Association. Click to read the 2021 Press Release about the National Gardening Survey Download our graphics inspired by survey findings. You are welcome to use them in your own conversations with customers, newsletter articles, blog posts and social media. It's my goal that the Slow Flowers membership will join me and encourage discussion about consumer behavior and attitudes! Social media graphics for IG: Let's dive right so you can hear the "big reveal" as we hear how survey respondents answered the two Slow Flowers questions: How important is it that the flowers you purchase are American-grown? and How important is it that the flowers you purchase are locally-grown?Thank you so much for joining me today as we geeked out on the research and contemplated what consumers think about your cut flowers. I'm eager to hear what you think! Do the rankings of 57% preference for domestic flowers and 58% preference for locally-grown flowers resonate with you experience as a flower farmer or floral designer? Please let me know your thoughts! We are already beginning to plan for additional questions to pose in the 2022 National Gardening Survey, so please reach out if you have suggestions and/or if you're interested in sponsoring this endeavor as a Slow Flowers partner. Let's leverage the power of research and use this well-regarded study to validate our values and beliefs around the importance of local and domestic cut flowers. Thanks to Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers and Lisa Ziegler of The Gardener's Workshop f...