Garden Trend Surveys

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Consumer Trends Show Market Ups & Downs

The Garden Writers Association Foundation (GWAF) released its 2013 April Gardening Trends Research Report. The report is the second of 5 national consumer attitude surveys on gardening to be conducted this year by the GWAF. Early spring garden planning attitudes was the primary focus of the research that shows a marginal slowing of consumer interests in some areas but continued strong participation in vegetable gardening for 2013.

Among the 68 million gardening households that have a lawn, garden or grow plants in containers, where they plan to garden changed very little. However, there was a 3 point decline in consumers planning to do backyard gardening that was the lowest response in the past 4 years.

Consumers planning to purchase spring plants last year split evenly between mass merchants and garden centers. This year, mass merchants gained an 11% lead where garden centers dropped in favor by that amount. This year’s consumer shift toward mass merchants places garden centers at their lowest selection preference in the past 4 years.

Best quality remains the highest criteria for where consumers chose to buy their gardening plants, followed by staff quality and price.

Garden spending plans showed a 4% increase in households expecting to spend $500 or less on their yard and garden and a 6% drop in households planning to spend between $500-$1,500.  The average expected garden spending per household for 2012 was $470 while the 2013 average spending is projected at $278 ­— a 40% decline.

On the good news side, 69% of consumer households with a yard or garden are planning to grow vegetables in 2013, an increase of 3 points over last year. Among those households, 73% say they grow their own vegetables for better quality, taste and nutrition.

The GWAF 2013 April Gardening Trends Research Report was conducted by Technometrica Market Intelligence of Orfield, NJ. A total of 915 surveys were completed from a random digital dial sample of telephone numbers. Interviews in each region of the country were proportional to the representation of that region to the total U.S. population. To further assure representation to the American population, the data was weighted by gender, age and race reflective of U.S. Census proportions. At the 95% confidence level, the margin of error for respondents overall is +/- 3.3 percentage points. For subgroups, margins of error are higher and depend upon the size of the sample.

Copies of GWA Foundation garden trends reports are available to GWA members at no cost. Follow the links to the members area to download a more detailed copy of the report.

Non-members can obtain a copy of the full 23-page survey report for a fee of $24.99 by clicking the non-member link below.

Garden Writers Association Members
Non Members