The study combined expertise in horticulture and agricultural economics at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to examine floral consumer behavior. A nationally representative survey of more than 8,500 consumers asked what people buy, how often, and why. Researchers applied cluster analysis and identified 13 distinct consumer types.
Examples from the study include a Valentine’s Day segment that is mostly male and favors roses, anniversary-only givers, home-use-only shoppers who buy for themselves, and an "everything" cluster made up of buyers who purchase for all occasions and spend the most. Open-ended responses were analysed with word clouds; common associations included "beauty" and "smell," alongside words such as "waste" and "expensive."
The authors report clear benefits: people who bought flowers in the past year were more likely to say they felt better at home and at work, with mood improvement and reduced stress strongest among recent buyers. The supply chain for cut flowers is global and complex—imports, particularly roses from Colombia, still dominate the US market, but domestic production has grown. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for weddings and funerals while increasing at-home purchases, and open-field flower acreage in the US more than doubled between 2017 and 2022 as local farms expanded production of seasonal flowers like zinnias and dahlias.
- Fresh flowers now appear in more retail locations.
- Buyers report psychological benefits after purchase.
- Both imported and local flowers remain important.
Difficult words
- horticulture — the science and practice of growing plants
- cluster — a group of similar items or peoplecluster analysis
- supply chain — the system that moves goods from producers to consumers
- import — a good brought into a country from abroadimports
- production — the process of making or growing goods
- acreage — an area of land measured in acres
- seasonal — happening or produced at certain seasons
- benefit — a positive effect on people's feelings or healthbenefits
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might buying flowers lead people to feel better at home and at work? Give two possible reasons based on the article.
- How could the growth in local open-field acreage change the US flower market or consumer choices?
- How might retailers use the identified consumer segments (for example, the Valentine’s Day segment or the "everything" cluster) to improve sales?
