Bridging Research and the Retail Floor

By Bob Callahan, CEO of Floriexpo Through a strategic partnership with the Floral Marketing Fund (FMF), in collaboration with AFE, Floriexpo 2026 will focus on connecting research, consumer insights, and real-world application to support long-term industry growth.To ensure we’re leading this industry toward real growth, we at Floriexpo are narrowing our focus on three critical areas: providing a complete toolkit for the modern supermarket retailer, empowering wholesalers and retailers, and leaning into strategic partnerships that turn raw data into retail reality. A Complete Toolkit for the Modern Buyer We are introducing several major shifts to the show floor designed to serve the 2026 buyer. A key focus this year is our partnership with Certified American Grown, which completes the sourcing…

Looking Ahead: Resources, Opportunities, and Innovations from AFE

Happy 2025, floral industry! We hope your year is off to a great start. AFE’s team is excited to kick off another incredible year filled with free educational programming, expanded funding opportunities, and new resources tailored for every segment of the floral industry. Here’s a glimpse of what you can be looking ahead to in 2025: Tailored Resources for Every Segment of the Industry We recognize that the range of jobs in the floral industry is diverse, with unique challenges and opportunities across different segments. That’s why we’ve developed landing pages specifically tailored to your needs - on our homepage, you can access a customized library of programs, research results, and latest news for your profession! Check it out here.…

AFE’s 2024 Fundraising Campaign: R.I.S.E. to Support!

R.I.S.E. up to support the floral industry! In an effort to continue to increase support for important research, education, and other floriculture programs to advance our industry, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has launched its annual fundraising campaign running from May 15th through June 28th with a goal of $100,000 in industry support.  The Endowment's annual summer campaign theme touts the overall tagline of R.I.S.E., representing AFE’s core programs: Research, Internships, Scholarships, and Education for the floral industry. These resources are vital to the ongoing growth of floral; the Endowment is welcoming the industry to R.I.S.E. up with us to help fund ongoing success and support for all segments, ages, and levels. You can check out the campaign launch video featuring industry supporters and AFE's Chairman, Ken Young of Phoenix Flower Shops, by clicking here. Make a…

Upcoming Webinar Releasing Consumer Houseplant Study Results

The Floral Marketing Fund (FMF) will host a webinar on December 9th at 1 PM Eastern to present results from a consumer preferences study about houseplants conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s researchers, Dr. Melinda Knuth, NC State University, Dr. Hayk Khachatryan, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, UF/IFAS, and Dr. Charlie Hall, Texas A&M University, will reveal the data, address trends in houseplant purchasing, and discuss how the industry can capitalize on them. Register for the webinar at: https://bit.ly/Consumer20.To better understand the rising popularity of houseplants over the last decade, this study addresses the gaps in information that speak to the main drivers of consumer usage. Most recently, due in part to COVID-19, sales have seen further growth because…

Increasing Demand and Satisfaction in the Floral Industry

New Study Results Explores Purchasing, Preferences, and Targeted Messaging The Floral Marketing Fund (FMF) released the results from the first of three consumer preferences studies being completed in 2021, Increasing Demand and Satisfaction in the Floral Industry. The results come from two separate surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (one in July of 2020 and one in June of 2021) by researchers Dr. Benjamin L. Campbell, Dr. Julie H. Campbell, and Dr. Jessica A. Holt at the University of Georgia. The study was funded by the FMF, whose mission is to develop, support, and promote collaborative fundraising, research, and marketing efforts to increase flower sales. As businesses look to serve new and existing customers, they must ensure they are not only driving…

Floral Marketing Research Fund Announces Rebranding

Growing Our Industry Together FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alexandria, Virginia, July 12, 2021 –  The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), the industry’s organization for floral marketing research and resources, has announced its rebrand to the Floral Marketing Fund (FMF). The comprehensive rebrand elevates the need to focus on collaborative marketing efforts and position the Floral Marketing Fund to bring industry organizations together. At the heart of the rebrand is the change of name to the Floral Marketing Fund, a new logo, tagline, and mission & vision statements encouraging industry collaboration to promote everyday purchasing of fresh flowers and plants. The rebrand to the Floral Marketing Fund is not just cosmetic— it notes the Fund’s expanded marketing efforts and a movement towards more…

Collaborative Sponsorships Fund New Houseplant Consumer Study!

Five major industry contributors, including the Floral Marketing Fund, Altman Plants, Costa Farms, Green Circle Growers, Hortica, and Metrolina Greenhouses have come together in collaboration to fund an exciting new research project. The study, “Houseplants Consumer Preference and Purchasing Behaviors,” is led by researchers, Hayk Khachatryan and Melinda Knuth at the University of Florida and Charlie Hall at Texas A&M University.Houseplant purchases have been on the rise for the past decade, a trend that further escalated sales throughout 2020 due in part to COVID-19. Industry experts hypothesize that because people are home more, they are engaging in more plant-related activities, but current predictions still lack empirical evidence on the driving factors of consumer usage, and many questions remain unanswered. The study intends to provide an in-depth…

Determining Consumer Preferences for Floral Designs Elements

Floral designers have long been taught that the most important attributes of a floral design are the elements of line, color, texture, pattern, form, space, and size. Yet, little formal research has been conducted to determine which of these design elements are truly important to consumers and drive their purchasing behavior. This project, co-funded by the Floral Marketing Research Fund and PMA, seeks to answer this overarching question and thereby enhance the likelihood of floral purchases in the future.We know from experience that people tend to “buy with the eye” when purchasing flowers (and produce). Therefore, we are using eye-tracking technology to obtain the “eye view” of consumers when viewing the elements of a floral design while shopping. The study…

Research Study to Break New Ground in Understanding Consumers

Sales of cut flowers have decreased recently in the U.S. floral market. Some experts posit that this could be correlated with changes in disposable income, causing some consumers to move to the lower-value end of the market. Others contend that this decrease in floral purchasing could also be due to barriers such as price or the availability of alternative gift items. Regardless of the reason, more than half of the retail floral industry revenue is comprised of sales of floral arrangements, so if we are to have any hope in influencing future purchases of flowers it is essential for industry participants to better understand consumer behaviors and opinions regarding purchasing flowers.Enter the new study from Floral Marketing Research Fund, co-sponsored…

New Study Identifies Consumer Preferences in Floral Design

New Study Identifies Consumer Preferences in Floral Design“Using Biometric Technology to Better Understand Floral Consumers”January 29, 2019, Alexandria, VA – Floral designers have long been taught that the most important attributes of a design are its elements: line, color, texture, pattern, form, space, and size. Yet, these attributes have not been proven to be perfect indicators of consumer purchase behavior.In a new study currently being conducted jointly by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), funded through the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), researchers will determine which of these attributes are truly important to consumers and drive their purchase behavior. The study results can be used by florists, suppliers, retailers, and bouquet makers to increase sales.Using the latest…

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