PRESS RELEASE
Maumee Valley Growers Receive Award
The Maumee Valley Growers Association (MVGA) was awarded a two-year, $50,000 Specialty Crop Grant in September 2020 to test the unique generational purchasing habits of floriculture customers in ten (or more) retail greenhouse/garden centers in Ohio.
The typical shopper in the greenhouse industry is primarily female between the age of 40-65 who prefer to visit the greenhouse(s) for purchases. Other generations use social media or websites to research their purchases first then travel to the greenhouse to make their selections.
Pew Research and others recently released insightful information listing how different generations of shoppers make purchases. “MVGA will use the Plant Something program as a marketing platform to explore those buying habits. The intent is to implement the study recommendations to increase specialty crop sales through a broader customer base,” says Joe Perlaky, MVGA Executive Director.
Data acquired from the grant focuses on the floriculture industry. These are greenhouses that concentrate on specialty crop items such as cultivated greens, potted flowering, foliage plants, and flower seeds. This includes inventory grown both undercover and in open fields. The study will provide information in both urban and rural greenhouse locations.
“The discovery of new niche marketing opportunities is anticipated. Nearly 750 employees and their families in the northwest Ohio region are depending on that,” says Perlaky.
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