Online Only: Complete Industry Pulse Survey Responses
March 27, 2009 We asked our readers to give us their takes on the upcoming spring season. More than 300 readers submitted their answers throughout February, and here is the data we compiled.
Which of the following best describes your business?
| Grower/retailer |
47.5%
|
| Wholesale grower |
47.1%
|
| Young plant grower |
5.4%
|
Where are you located?
| Northeastern U.S. |
23.4%
|
| Midwestern U.S. |
26.3%
|
| Southeastern U.S. |
22.1%
|
| Southwestern U.S. |
5.2%
|
| Western U.S. |
11.0%
|
| Other |
12.0%
|
How do you expect your Spring 2009 sales to compare to last year?
| Increase of less than 5 percent |
21.4%
|
| Increase of 6 to 10 percent |
22.2%
|
| Increase of more than 10 percent |
12.8%
|
| Decrease of less than 5 percent |
9.5%
|
| Decrease of 6 to 10 percent |
9.5%
|
| Decrease of more than 10 percent |
7.4%
|
| Stay the same |
17.3%
|
Have your sales expectations for 2009 changed in the last three months?
| Yes, they are lower than I thought three months ago |
31.5%
|
| Yes, they are higher than I thought three months ago |
24.1%
|
| No |
44.4%
|
In which of the following areas are you experiencing cost increases for Spring 2009? Please check all that apply.
| Energy |
66.0%
|
| Labor |
52.4%
|
| Transportation |
47.1%
|
What is the most important factor to your success this spring?
| A vastly improved economy |
18.2%
|
| Cheaper labor |
0.9%
|
| Good weather |
70.2%
|
| Less competition |
7.1%
|
| Lower energy costs |
3.6%
|
Please provide us with any additional comments or observations about your expectations for spring.
Are you changing the way you hire for spring?
| Yes, I’m hiring fewer people |
37.3%
|
| Yes, I’m hiring more people |
6.6%
|
| No |
56.0%
|
Are you having more difficulty securing or continuing lines of credit so far in 2009?
| Yes |
17.7%
|
| No |
56.1%
|
| I don’t use lines of credit |
26.2%
|
Compared to last last year, which of the following live inputs have been more difficult to obtain for spring this year? Please check all that apply.
| Cuttings |
28.7%
|
| Liners |
27.7%
|
| Plugs |
29.8%
|
| Seed |
28.7%
|
In which categories are you having trouble finding product? Please check all that apply.
| Annuals |
43.7%
|
| Perennials |
33.8%
|
| Vegetables & Herbs |
35.2%
|
Are you changing the number of crops and varieties you grow for spring?
| Yes |
74.7%
|
| No |
25.3%
|
If yes, how are you changing the amount you grow?
| We’re growing more varieties |
32.3%
|
| We’re growing less varieties |
14.0%
|
| We’re growing a similar number of varieties, just less of each |
10.2%
|
| We’re growing more of some varieties and less of others |
43.5%
|
Are you changing the way you schedule crops?
| Yes, we’re growing more earlier |
20.4%
|
| Yes, we’re growing more later |
25.3%
|
| No |
54.3%
|
Have you changed the amount of industry events you plan to attend this year?
| Yes, I will attend fewer events |
27.7%
|
| Yes, I will attend more events |
9.7%
|
| No |
62.6%
|
Subscribe to eNewsletter
