Abstract

A garden center exit survey examining consumer purchasing habits of environmental horticulture products was conducted in Florida in 2002. A total of 910 surveys were completed with information on why a particular store was chosen for shopping, the items planned for purchase and whether or not the final purchase matched the intentions of the buyer. Convenience/location was the most important reason for shopping at a particular store, followed by price, quality, service, information and miscellaneous other reasons. Most respondents were shopping for non-plant (hardgood) items, but when shopping for plants, flowering plants for the outdoors were the most sought after. Seasonal shopping habits were identified with nearly every respondent shopping at least once during the spring and fewer respondents shopping at least once during each of the other seasons. Information was also collected on gender, age, education level, and annual income of respondents, as well as location and type of store (chain or independent). Respondents who reported having college level education, an annual income greater than $50,000 or were shopping at an independent garden center, also indicated convenience/location as their primary reason for selecting a particular garden center; however, unlike other respondents, price was not their second reason for shopping at a particular store.