You don’t have to be a millennial to appreciate the impact the demographic’s consumer preferences and purchasing decisions are having on our industry’s products and channels. Millennials’ demands are ever evolving. So it is in the interest of all of us, as professionals in the floral industry, to identify those preferences and adapt or create marketing strategies to cater to them to drive consumer demand.

Take a look at occasion-driven purchases — weddings are currently generating larger floral sales and holiday-related floral sales are still strong —but funeral-related floral purchases? Not so much — they are declining rapidly, in fact. Non-holiday-related floral sales for the home have also been dropping. However, millennials’ growing interest in flowers as an organic home decorating tool could change that for the better.

Millennial consumers’ channel preferences are also driving their purchasing habits. Their time is precious, so flowers for the home are increasingly bought at mass merchandisers and supermarkets where millennials can buy other, often unrelated, products.

Florists will still be their go-to source for more specialized purchases, such as floral arrangements for funerals, weddings and corporate events. They’ll also do online floral purchasing for these categories, but the most common ones will be tied to gifts for holidays and special occasions.

Millennials are also environmentally conscious, and many are increasingly urban in their lifestyle, which leads them to incorporate indoor flowers, plants and greenery in their decor. According to Kelvin Frye, director or sales and marketing at Syndicate Sales, “Opportunity lies in the fact that over 60 percent of today’s consumers want to bring plants and flowers into their home. This data, coupled with urbanization, can create opportunities for small container gardening, of plants and flowers grown indoors, and the need for containers that fit small spaces.” (The Produce News, Feb. 9-23, 2015, page 72, “Millennials, urbanization, Europe affecting container style trends.”)

This generation doesn’t bring home flowers just for dress-up — it understands what colors mean and communicate. Flowers are celebratory, they’re personality drivers and mood expressers.

Millennials also crave change and affordability. According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute, this trend will last longer than you might think. The world’s still-uncertain economy has them warily watching their spending. No more wasting of dollars on high-ticket items in this year’s hottest colors. They’re maintaining their sense of newness by mixing and matching colors, textures and arrangements. 

These young adults are also becoming more confident DIYers. Through the use of digital apps and websites they’re discovering, sharing, making and discussing everything from floral preferences, arrangements and inspirations to décor ideas. Millennials are using Pinterest to create a collection of beautiful photos and send messages about the floral creations they’d like to buy or make themselves.

As floral industry professionals, we should all be more cognizant of these social and personal traits. Consider hosting workshops, sharing ideas, or developing targeted marketing campaigns to DIY enthusiasts. Let’s help them to express their personalities, demonstrate their expertise or save money. Once we identify millennial consumer trends and adapt or develop strategies to engage them, we won’t be reacting to demand any more — we’ll be driving it.

This article was submitted by the Produce Marketing Association. For more information, visit www.pma.com/floral or contact Becky Roberts at 1-302/607-2148 or [email protected].