Insight into the behaviour of young consumers

In the past months the Consumer Programme has taken several initiatives to gain insight into the behaviour of young consumers. Which considerations and inhibitions affect them and how can we deal with them? This knowledge forms the basis for innovating marketing strategies specifically targetted at young people.

Consumer café: talking to young consumers

During the FloraHolland Trade Fair, the Consumer Programme organised a consumer café. It got growers and customers talking to young consumers. The topics discussed included: Do you ever buy flowers/plants? If you buy someone a present, what do you buy? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of flowers and plants? Several customers and growers joined the chat and experienced the urgency to anticipate the wishes of young consumers with their products.

New insights

The Consumer café provided new insights and confirmed the results from an earlier study. It seems that:

• Flowers and plants are not 'top of mind' with young consumers;
• They also set high criteria for the presents they do give. They must be functional and personal and last a long time. Plus the present must say something about the giver or the recipient;
• The transience and the lack of a story for flowers and plants are considered negative aspects. Young people miss the distinctive element of these products.

What's next?

Additional research should show us the extent to which the results of the consumer café apply to the whole generation of young people. The drivers research, looking for the motives of consumers, and the innovation workshops of Business Development and Consumer are examples of this.

Consumers

The Consumer Programme strives to stimulate the (European) consumers' demand for flowers and plants by 20% by focussing on three international themes: Health, Wellbeing & Emotions. The result of the programme is to get more consumers buying more flowers and plants.

For more information, visit: www.floraholland.nl