Determining interest in value-added planters: Consumer preference and current grower and retailer perceptions

Jonathan Phillips, E. Jay Holcomb, Kathleen Kelley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Three intercept surveys were conducted at the Southeast Research and Extension Center in Landisville, Pa., at three separate field days during the period of 28 July to 4 Aug. 2004 to determine grower (n = 78), retailer/landscaper (n = 52), and consumer (n = 55) interest in annual planters. Survey participants were self-selected and asked to answer questions evaluating their preferences and past experience with annual planters. Consumer participants also evaluated planters based on flower-color harmony, container style, and price on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 = very unlikely to purchase, 7 = very likely to purchase) and answered sociographic and demographic questions. Container evaluations were analyzed using conjoint analysis to determine consumer preferences. Price was found to be the most important factor, accounting for 43.1% of the decision to purchase an annual planter. No significance was found comparing the lowest ($19.98) and middle ($29.98) prices; however, both were significantly more preferred than the highest price point ($39.98). Color harmony was the next most important factor, accounting for 34.9% of the decision to purchase followed by container style (22.0%). When asked what they would pay, on average, for the containers on display, consumer participants responded with a price of $25.68. A majority of retail/landscape participants in this study had never sold annual planters within their company (75.0%), whereas a majority of grower participants had produced annual planters in the past (75.0%). Retailer/landscape participants also indicated that they would charge their customers an average retail price of $31.67, which was 14% less than the growers' suggested average retail price of $36.83 based on the $21.68 wholesale price they assigned.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)238-246
Number of pages9
JournalHortTechnology
Volume17
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Horticulture

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