Post Valentine's Day, Consumer Needs Are Still Top of Mind

February 18, 2022

Congratulations on another Valentine's Day in the books! I know much of our industry is just coming out of the haze of the holiday, bur from what little I've heard so far, we saw good sell-through and growth compared to 2021. We will, of course, share our IRI Valentine's Day report down the road, but I'm happy to hear that our consumers are still thinking about floral more and more.

Speaking of the consumer, we have a lot to look forward to over the coming months that should help us continue to understand and respond to consumer needs. Here's what's on our calendar for the coming months.

SXSW
The ultimate festival of all things culture is returning to an in-person experience in March for the first time in almost 3 years. We've been attending SXSW (South by Southwest) for years, because we have recognized that if we want to grow consumer interest in floral, we need to continue to claim our space in culture. While at SXSW, we are on the ground on Rainey Street, which is one of the excitement epicenters of the festival. We invite consumers to engage with products in exciting ways – think flower crowns – and help show them the joy in flowers and Joy of Fresh. We're working with the chair of the floral committee, Erin Esensee, Business Unit Director of H-E-B Blooms to achieve the "wow" for the floral outreach.

As a bonus, we'll be convening the Floral Committee in Austin on March 17 for a committee meeting. Our agenda will center on the idea of looking back and looking ahead. We'll be looking back at how our industry has progressed but also dive into the challenges and issues that are coming. This is an essential time for us to understand what the association should be aware of and how we can continue to grow our floral community within IFPA.
Research
We provided an update on our research in the last newsletter, and the most important thing to note is that we are going to be continuing with providing valuable floral research to help you make your decisions. Specifically, we'll be finalizing our consumer survey that will provide a look at how our consumers perceive and purchase floral. We'll be providing a deep dive on this at The Floral Conference - Anaheim.
The Floral Conference - Anaheim
Registration is open now for one of the premier floral events taking place this year, in Anaheim on March 29. In addition to an exclusive look at the latest consumer research – that will not be offered anywhere else – we'll be bringing together buyers from major retail chains, growers, importers and exporters, and more, to connect, learn and discuss the most important issues facing our industry.

I hope to see you at one of these upcoming events!

Post Valentine's Day, Consumer Needs Are Still Top of Mind

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