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    Mudrakers
    September 11, 2008

     
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    Gen X and Y = gardening dunderheads?


    Posted at 11:08 am by Debra Smith

    I receive some odd but interesting mail as part of my job. Today, a copy of “Garden Chic” landed on my desk. It looks like a sleek Martha Stewart publication, with its Sarah Palin-like garden model stroking her carrots on the cover, but it’s really an industry publication aimed at nursery retailers.

    A quick flip through tells me a little about what the garden industry thinks of my generation. It’s not good. Apparently, young people are lazy, time-strapped, gardening dunderheads.

    It’s no secret the people who sell us plants are worried about what’s going to happen to their bottom lines as Baby Boomers age. The perception is young people aren’t as in touch with their inner gardener as their parents and grandparents.

    So here’s what the industry research has found and what the magazine advises retailers to do.

    Here we go:

    1. Gen X and Y see themselves as home improvers, not gardeners. Landscaping is just a subset of home improvement, in their minds.

    Their advice: Better have lots of experts on hand to give out information. Don’t expect the younger generations to become gardening experts now or in the future. (My aside: OUCH.)

    2. Gen X and Gen Y are inclined to buy organic and locally grown produce at their local garden centers, potentially viewing stores as a quasi-farmer’s market.

    Their advice: Bring in a weekend farmer’s market. (My aside: That's not a bad idea.)

    3. Younger consumers don’t have a lot of time to spend on figuring out how do things themselves.

    Their advice: Pull together all the items needed for a project in one display.

    4. Vegetable gardening is the gateway drug, so to speak, to get young people hooked on gardening.

    Their advice: Position yourself as the veggie gardening expert.

    5. Gen X and Y couples are more likely to collaborate on their garden purchase decisions. Women make up the majority of customers but men tend to make larger project purchases with their significant other.

    Their advice: Don’t forget to include man stuff.

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