2024-07-15

"The" generations: What do they spend money on? What role does "GREEN" play?

"The" generations: What do they spend money on? What role does "GREEN" play?
 
Author:
Managing Director Media Concept Group

Spending habits in the retail trade vary greatly between different generations and age groups. In our "green sector", attempts have been made for years to appeal to younger target groups and attract them to garden centres and flower shops. With this blog post, we want to try to give our readers and business partners an overview of how different age groups and generations spend their money and what role plants and the horticultural retail trade play in this.

Here is our brief overview:

1. Generation Z (born approx. 1997-2012)
Main spending:
Fashion, technology, leisure activities, food and drink.
Plants and garden centres: This group has shown an interest in houseplants for a number of years as they often live in urban areas where space is limited. They value plants as part of the décor and for improving air quality.

Houseplants are popular with Generation Z
Houseplants are popular with Generation Z

2. Millennials (born approx. 1981-1996)
Main expenses:
Travel, food and drink, fashion, fitness, technology.
Plants and garden centres: Many Millennials are increasingly investing in houseplants and urban gardening. Garden centres are popular as this generation values sustainability and well-being.

Millennials can be found in garden centres more often than expected
Millennials can be found in garden centres more often than expected

3. Generation X (born approx. 1965-1980)
Main expenses:
Household items, travelling, children's education, DIY, technology.
Plants and garden centres: This group invests in both houseplants and garden plants. They attach great importance to the design of their living space and garden and frequently visit garden centres.

For Generation X, the children are often out of the house – now is the time for gardening
For Generation X, the children are often out of the house – now is the time for gardening

4. Baby Boomer (born approx. 1946-1964)
Main expenses:
Healthcare, travel, leisure activities, home improvements.
Plants and garden centres: Baby Boomers have been the main target group for garden centres for many years. They often have more time d resources to invest in their gardens and enjoy gardening as a hobby.

The baby boomer generation enjoys their gardening hobby – with their grandchildren
The baby boomer generation enjoys their gardening hobby – with their grandchildren

5. Silent Generation (approx. 1928-1945)
Main expenses:
Health care, basic foodstuffs, leisure activities.
Plants and garden centres: This group buys plants primarily to care for and maintain existing gardens. Garden centres often also offer them opportunities for social interaction.

The Silent Generation has fun shopping and chatting about the hobby
The Silent Generation has fun shopping and chatting about the hobby

The role of plants and garden centres

Plants and garden centres have different meanings for different generations:

  • Houseplants: These are very popular with younger generations such as Generation Z and Millennials. They are often bought for aesthetic and health purposes.
  • Garden plants and accessories: Generation X and Baby Boomers invest more in garden plants and accessories to design and maintain their gardens. For them, the garden is often an important part of their living space and a place to relax.
  • Sustainability and urban gardening: Interest in sustainable lifestyles and urban gardening is growing. Younger generations in particular, such as millennials, attach importance to these aspects and look for appropriate products and advice in garden centres.
Conclusion
Spending habits in retail vary greatly between generations. While younger generations tend to invest more in technology, fashion and leisure, older generations are more focussed on health, travel and home improvements. Plants and garden centres play a significant role, especially for generations that value home and garden design, with interest in houseplants increasing across all age groups.

The teams at Media Concept Switzerland and Gregg Marketing look forward to talking to you and finding the target groups that offer you the greatest sales opportunities.

 

Author:
Robert Wacker
Managing Director Media Concept Group
Robert Wacker has been working in the green industry since 1980. For 20 years, he has been developing marketing and sales concepts for breeders, producers and retailers. As Managing Director of all international affairs for the Media Concept Group, he regularly writes articles for this blog..

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