Lawn & Garden Consumer Insights: The Home Gardener
Long before the novel coronavirus pandemic spread to the US in 2020, many consumers had engaged in gardening as a hobby. Growing plants for food or for home or yard aesthetics can be fun, challenging, and rewarding.
However, as the pandemic has led to stay-at-home and social distancing orders, consumer behavior is changing. Many people have lost their jobs, and jobs that are able to be done from home have largely transitioned to work-at-home positions at least in the short-term, meaning that more people are staying at home than ever before.
Gardening may be used as a stress relief activity, and when people are staying at home more, they have more time or desire to dedicate to gardening. Additionally, during times of economic uncertainty, some consumers turn to gardening for food since growing fruits and vegetables is a low-cost activity.
This report includes analysis, data, trends, and customized cross tabs using both the April-May 2020 The Freedonia Group Online Consumer Survey and syndicated national consumer survey results from MRISimmons Winter 2008-2020 Reports and MRI-Simmons Fall 2006-2007 Reports.
Scope or Report
This report examines COVID-19 consumer impacts, historical trends in gardening, changes to home and gardening behavior during the pandemic, purchases and ownership of lawn and garden equipment and lawn and garden consumables, demographic trends in home gardening, and consumer psychographics.
- 1. Introduction
- 2. COVID-19: Consumer Impact Overview
- 58% of People Set Up to Work At Home Are Doing So More Often
- Most Consumers Are Concerned About COVID-19 & Its Impact
- Many Consumers Report Being Negatively Impacted by COVID-19
- Even More Consumers Report Family or Friends Have Been Affected
- The Pandemic Reshaped Consumer Shopping & Dining Patterns
- Consumers Are Changing Their Eating Habits Due to the Coronavirus
- 3. Historical Trends in Gardening
- Gardening Has Become Less Popular Over Time
- Fewer Consumers Own Lawn and Garden Equipment Now Than in the Past
- Lawn and Garden Equipment Sales Experience Volatility
- The Share of Consumers Purchasing Lawn and Garden Consumables Has Fallen Over Time
- 4. Changes to Home and Gardening Behavior During the Pandemic
- People Are Spending More Time on Home Projects and Gardening
- Most Americans Have a Yard, Lawn, or Garden Space at Home
- Where Do People with these Outdoor Spaces Live?
- Consumers with an Outdoor Space at Home Are More Likely to be Engaging in
- Gardening and Outdoor Projects Due to the Coronavirus
- Consumers Who Are Gardening or Spending More Time on Outdoor Projects Are Feeling
- More Negative Effects of the Coronavirus
- Consumers Who Are Gardening or Spending More Time on Outdoor Projects Are Making
- More Changes to Their Routines Due to the Coronavirus
- Income Is a Major Determinant of Who is Gardening, Spending More Time on Outdoor
- Projects, and Undertaking Home Improvement Projects
- 5. Lawn and Garden Product Ownership and Purchases
- Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment
- Ownership by Gender and Activities
- Ownership by Region and County Size
- Ownership by Household Income Bracket
- Ownership by Age Bracket
- Types of Lawn and Garden Equipment Owned
- Types of Lawn and Garden Equipment Purchased in the Last 12 Months
- Owned Brands of Lawn and Garden Equipment
- Types of Lawn and Garden Consumables Purchased in the Last 12 Months
- Purchases by Gender and Activities
- 6. Demographic Trends in Home Gardening
- Regional Trends
- Household Income Trends
- Employment Trends
- Relationship Status and Parenthood Trends
- Educational Trends
- Age Trends
- Gender Trends
- 7. Psychographics of Home Gardeners
- Diet and Health
- Thoughts on the Environment
- Healthy Eating and Snacking
- Adventurous Eating and Cooking
- Clean Label Sentiments
- Home Cooking and Convenience Food Options
- 8. The Freedonia Group Consumer Survey Methodology
- 9. MRI-Simmons Survey Methodology
- List of Tables
- 8. The Freedonia Group Consumer Survey Methodology
- Table 8-1 | The Freedonia Group National Online Survey Demographic Quotas
- List of Figures
- 2. COVID-19: Consumer Impact Overview
- Figure 2-1 | COVID-19 Is Causing More Consumers to Work from Home More Than
- Usual (percent of employed consumers who are set up to work from home)
- Figure 2-2 | | Consumer Concerns Related to the Coronavirus (percent of consumers)
- Figure 2-3 | | Negative Personal Effects Related to the Coronavirus (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 2-4 | | Negative Effects of the Coronavirus on Friends & Family (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 2-6 | | Consumer Shopping Changes Due to the Coronavirus (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 2-11 | | Consumer Eating Habits Due to the Coronavirus (percent of consumers)
- 3. Historical Trends in Gardening
- Figure 3-1 | | Gardening as a Leisure Activity/Hobby in the Last 12 Months (2006-2020)
- (percent of consumers)
- Figure 3-2 | | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment (2006-2020) (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 3-3 | | Purchases of Lawn and Garden Equipment in the Last 12 Months (2006-
- 2020) (percent of consumers)
- Figure 3-4 | | Purchases of Lawn and Garden Consumables in the Last 12 Months (2006-
- 2020) (percent of consumers)
- 4. Changes to Home and Gardening Behavior During the Pandemic
- Figure 4-1 | | Consumer Agreement on Changing Home Improvement and Gardening
- Projects Due to the Coronavirus (percent of consumers)
- Figure 4-2 | | Does Your Home Have a Yard, Lawn, or Garden Space? (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 4-3 | | Consumers with a Yard, Lawn, or Garden Space by Region, Urban vs.
- Suburban vs. Rural, Owning vs. Renting a Home, and Type of Home
- (percent of consumers)
- Figure 4-4 | | Overlap with Consumers with a Yard, Lawn, or Garden Space and Changes
- in Gardening and Outdoor Projects (percent of consumers)
- Figure 4-5 | | Negative Effects of the Coronavirus on Health and Financial Security
- (percent of consumers, people spending more time on outdoor projects,
- and food gardeners)
- Figure 4-6 | | Negative Effects of the Coronavirus on Health and Financial Security
- (percent of consumers, people spending more time on outdoor projects,
- and food gardeners)
- Figure 4-7 | | Coronavirus Changes in Home Projects and Gardening by Income Bracket
- (percent of consumers)
- 5. Lawn and Garden Product Ownership and Purchases
- Figure 5-1 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment (percent of consumers)
- Figure 5-2 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Activities and Gender
- (percent of consumers, gardeners, HGTV viewers, and male and female
- consumers)
- Figure 5-3 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Region and County Size
- Figure 5-4 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Household Income Bracket
- (percent of consumers)
- Figure 5-5 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Age Bracket (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 5-6 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Type (percent of consumers)
- Figure 5-7 | Purchases of Lawn and Garden Equipment in the Last 12 Months by Type
- (percent of consumers)
- Figure 5-8 | Ownership of Lawn and Garden Equipment by Brand (percent of
- consumers)
- Figure 5-9 | Purchases of Lawn and Garden Consumables in the Last 12 Months by Type
- (percent of consumers)
- Figure 5-10 | Purchases of Lawn and Garden Consumables in the Last 12 Months by
- Type (percent of consumers, gardeners, HGTV viewers, and male and
- female consumers)
- 6. Demographic Trends in Home Gardening
- Figure 6-1 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- County Size and US Region (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-2 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- County Size and US Region (percent of gardeners)
- Figure 6-3 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Household Income Bracket (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-4 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Household Income Bracket (percent of gardeners)
- Figure 6-5 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Employment Status (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-6 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Employment Status (percent of gardeners)
- Figure 6-7 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Relationship Status and Parenthood (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-8 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Student Status and Educational Achievement (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-9 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Age Bracket (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-10 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Age Bracket (percent of gardeners)
- Figure 6-11 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Gender (percent of consumers)
- Figure 6-12 | Trends in Gardening as a Hobby/Leisure Activity in the Last 12 Months by
- Gender (percent of gardeners)
- 7. Psychographics of Home Gardeners
- Figure 7-1 | Agreement on Statements Concerning Diet and Health (percent of
- consumers, gardeners, consumers age 18-24, and consumers age 65+)
- Figure 7-2 | Agreement on Statements Concerning the Environment (percent of
- consumers and gardeners)
- Figure 7-3 | Agreement on Statements Concerning Healthy Eating and Eating Habits
- (percent of consumers and gardeners)
- Figure 7-4 | Agreement on Statements Concerning Adventurous Eating Habits (percent
- of consumers and gardeners)
- Figure 7-5 | Agreement on Statements Concerning Clean Label Sentiments (percent of
- consumers and gardeners)
- Figure 7-6 | Agreement on Statements Concerning Home Cooking (percent of
- consumers and gardeners)
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