Gardening Consumer Segments Vary in Ecopractices

Savvy marketers rely on the principles of customer segmentation and product targeting to more efficiently allocate scarce resources and effectively reach groups of consumers with similar likes, preferences, or demands. Our objective was to identify and profile consumer segments with regard to their gardening purchases to determine whether there were differences in their ecofriendly attitudes and behaviors such as recycling. Our underlying hypothesis was that different types of gardeners may exhibit more environmentally friendly behavior, predisposing them to be more receptive to product innovations specifically designed to be ecofriendly. Researchers collected plant purchases, recycling attitudes and behaviors, and preferences for ecofriendly containers from 763 consumers in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas. A cluster analysis based on plant purchases yielded three consumer segments: low use, woody plant buyers, and herbaceous plant buyers. There were some differences with regard to recycling behaviors among consumers in the three groups, including recycling aluminum drinking cans, newspapers, magazines, use of energy-saving bulbs, and composting yard waste. Generally, herbaceous plant buyers were most ecofriendly followed by woody plant buyers and low use. Given these differences, there appears to be some merit in the future to segment consumers by plant purchases versus others to target specific types of ecofriendly products to them. Consumers are not all alike, often having different attitudes and preferences. Their behavior also differs with regard to purchase and use of products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). Groups of like-minded or similarly behaving consumers create markets. Thus, market segments typically have some common consumer characteristics that can be quantified and distinguish them from other segments, enabling marketers to more efficiently allocate scarce resources and more effectively direct product communications to them, creating more potentially profitable sales. Contemporary marketing practices contribute to corporate success, in part, as a result of the principles of market segmentation and product targeting. Market segmentation capitalizes on the diversity of consumers and the products and services they demand. Product, service, or experience targeting is the practice of communicating specific product benefits or attributes to specific groups of consumers anticipating an outcome of profitable sales. Businesses that identify actionable market segments understand which key variables (attitudes, behaviors, specific product attributes, etc.) create the greatest distinction between segments while minimizing differences within a segment. Consumers of horticultural products are relatively diverse. Within a narrow range of edible and ornamental horticultural products, multiple studies showed that some consumers valued selected product attributes differently from other consumers, creating viable market segments (Behe, 2006a, 2006b; Behe et al., 2003, 2005a, 2005b, 2008; Dennis and Behe, 2007; Frank et al., 2001; Hall et al., 2010; Kelley et al., 2004; Mason et al., 2008; Simonne et al., 2006; Yue and Behe, 2008, 2010; Zagaden et al., 2008). Market segmentation for the purpose of targeting specific kinds of new products is beneficial to most firms, including horticultural firms. Consumers may also think and act differently in response to new products and services, and products adapted to be more environmentally friendly are no different (Gladwin et al., 1995; Purser et al., 1995). Consumer demand for product-stewardship or environmentally conscious products and business practices is rapidly rising. An e-Marketing article reported that nine of 10 survey participants perceived themselves as environmentally responsible (Anonymous, 2007). Even Wal-Mart and Home Depot recognize that ‘‘being green’’ not only provides value to consumers but improves profits (Noon, 2005). Some consumers are willing to pay a premium price for green products and share attitudes that are favorable toward the environment (Engel and Potschke, 1998; Hall et al., 2010; Laroche et al., 2001; Straugh and Roberts, 1999). With a price premium, the sale of ecofriendly products is assumed to bring profits to companies with a record of environmentally friendly practices (Russo and Fouts, 1997). Still, little is known about gardeners and their ecological attitudes, practices, or behaviors. One emerging ecobehavior is the consumption of organically produced food. Highly visible in many mainstream outlets, organic foods appear in the aisles of most U.S. food retailers (Dimitri and Oberholtzer, 2009). Retail sales of organic meats, eggs, breads, grains, and beverages have increased exponentially from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008, or nearly 50% per year. Mainstream food retailers, including many supermarkets, club stores, and box stores, now sell organic products as manufacturers continue to develop a wider selection of them. The number of consumers of organic products has increased, but those consumers are not easily categorized. Consistently, consumers with a higher level of education purchase more organic products (Thompson and Kidwell, 1998; Yue et al., 2009). Received for publication 30 June 2010. Accepted for publication 3 Aug. 2010. We gratefully acknowledge funding from the American Floral Endowment (AFE), the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), and the USDA Federal–State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) that were instrumental in conducting this research. Professor. Principal Investigator. Associate Professor. Professor, Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. Assistant Professor. Assistant Professor, Bachman Endowed Chair in Horticulture Marketing. To whom reprint requests should be addressed; e-mail [email protected]. HORTSCIENCE VOL. 45(10) OCTOBER 201