Consumer Trends Shift

It's mostly women who buy flowers right? This may no longer be true as men are trending to be "slightly more likely than women to be floral purchasers," according the 2016 Floral Purchase Tracking Study conducted by marketing research firm Ipsos, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and Society of American Florists (SAF).

Young, Wealthy and . . . Married

Let's dive deeper into this interesting trend. Specifically, the study found men are 55 percent, versus the 45 percent for  females to be floral purchasers -- and also this data skews younger. Males aged 18-34 are the dominant age group of these purchasers and tend to make more than $75k+ in household income.

The study further reveals these men are not (opinion: or should not be anyway) buying flowers for multiple partners as 65 percent of these purchasers are married, versus 35 percent reporting as single.

Just Roses

And what and where are they buying? Roses from local florists! These young men are more likely to buy roses from a florist at 43 percent than from supermarkets and grocery stores at 24 percent. The next type of floral gift would be mixed flowers, followed by tulips only, carnations only or lilies only.

Digital Marketing Strategy Takeaway

Our suggestion is to create or enhance a roses only sub-page of your website with recommendations and advice for young men on the advantages of purchasing from your shop. Share your expertise on vase styles, alternative rose arrangements, care information, card messages and more. Post blogs about these specific topics and post to social media. We recommend Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Check back for more analysis and recommendation from this study. You can access the full study at https://floralmarketingresearchfund.org/.