Even as the United States begins to emerge from the pandemic, we continue to experience much change in the floral industry.
One interesting change that has taken place across the industry is that millennials are now the primary buyers of flowers and plants. During a webinar panel discussion in June, data from IPSOS and SAF was cited, stating that the pandemic led millennials to discover their local florists, and that this group has the highest average spend on flowers and plants since the beginning of the year. This information suggests that a mobile interface and digital focused marketing strategy is working for florists. Shifting marketing to newer social media outlets, such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, helps motivate millennials to continue floral purchasing and has also sparked more interest among Gen Z customers as well. Our digital marketing article in this issue discusses how to use TikTok for floral marketing and the importance of evolving with and learning new social media strategies.
With consumer behavior and purchasing demographics changing, floral designers are encouraged to double down on marketing efforts to promote their brand locally and digitally. While grocery and convenience stores have often been go-to locations for buying floral arrangements and plants, many younger consumers are now more receptive to the ease of online purchasing. These customers are discovering and rediscovering floral designers through their online presence. Focusing on customer service excellence and offering interactive workshops and events can provide creative delivery outlets and new ways to get customers back into floral shops. Learning about new operating models and exploring popular apps used by younger customers can help florists stay ahead of the curve and pave the way for success in the future.
Floriology magazine has changed, too. Using a fully digital platform for the publication will allow us to share more photos and interactive content than ever before, with the hope that adding video content encourages and supports inspiration and idea sharing.
Thank you for your loyalty to Floriology magazine and for your support on our journey as we switch to a digital magazine. We are grateful that you are a valued member of our BloomNet family, and look forward to our growth together.
DINESH POPAT
