Do gardening consumers have too many choices? One of the speakers at this year's Seeley Conference, which focused on captivating the elusive consumer, discussed how consumers have an increasing number of choices to make in both their personal and professional lives. Examples include increased choices related to phone service, health care, retirement plans, marital and family arrangements, work schedules, even one's physical appearance and identity. Unfortunately, this freedom of choice, the speaker pointed out, can lead to a "tyranny of choice" causing people to feel paralyzed rather than liberated. The speaker said the more choices people have to make, the more miserable and dissatisfied they are. The more choices people have, the more easily they anticipate or experience regret. The speaker said the more options that a person has to consider detracts from the satisfaction for the options chosen. In our own publication, Michigan State University consumer market researcher Bridget Behe discusses how retailers need to simplify consumers plant choices. Behe said that lawn-and-garden shoppers are looking for a garden, not for plants. Unfortunately, some retailers have not made it easy for consumers to achieve this goal. Rather than marketing plants displayed in alphabetical order, Behe said consumers need to be shown how these plants can be combined in a recipe that will give them the look they are trying to achieve. People who don't know which plants to choose are going to feel paralyzed and dissatisfied. Increasing consumer success Some people in our industry feel that new varieties are the driving force behind continued plant sales, especially annuals. But just how much do new products drive plant sales? Would consumers be more satisfied knowing how to better choose, use and successfully grow existing products rather than having a new variety? Especially if it's one that they don't know what to do with and end up dissatisfied with its performance. In an ideal world, consumers would be able to know how to use a plant and how to care for it. But we're a long way from that situation. In many cases not even the breeders have all the production and postharvest answers before introducing a new variety. This leaves the growers to guess how best to produce and market the new variety -- not always the best situation. Increasingly, breeding companies are working with growers to learn how to produce and market new varieties. This will become even more important as more retailers implement pay-by-scan technology. If the average gardening consumer is unfamiliar with a new variety, are growers going to be willing to test market such a product? Or will they stick with the tried-and-true products that consumers are familiar with and more likely to buy? We can continue to give consumers more plant choices, but maybe we should be doing more to ensure they are successful with the plants they're choosing. Send this article to a friend Enter your e-mail address: Enter your friend's e-mail address: Click the image below to send: © 2004 Branch-Smith Publishing