Comparing Online and In-Store Trends in Plant Purchasing Behavior
August 26, 2025 
An independent garden center in-store shopping environment. | Alicia Rihn
In a recent e-Gro Alert, Alicia Rihn of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, looks at plant repurchase behavior from consumers and the results of a 2023 study conducted on online plant purchasing behavior.
For any retail business, one of the most coveted aspects is that of customer loyalty. This is because customer loyalty results in “repeat sales without using additional marketing to initially infiltrate the market,” says Rihn. Additionally, according to a 2006 in-store buying study within the ornamental plant industry, “customer delight (i.e., the product exceeds expectations)” results in a positive experience and, in turn, acts as a precursor to customer loyalty.
How Consumer Satisfaction Shapes Online Plant and Cut Flower Spending
Funded by the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) and functioning as a collaboration between Rihn, Melina Knuth of North Carolina State University, and Patricia Huddleston and Bridget Behe of Michigan State University, the 2023 study looked at how customer loyalty differed between ornamental plants sold in-store compared to online purchases. Of the 1,393 U.S. plant purchasers whose data was used in the study, “24% made their last plant purchase in-store, while 76% made their last plant purchase through online retailers.” However, Rihn notes that online purchasers were oversampled “to allow for a deeper investigation into their purchasing behavior and perceptions of online plant sales.”
The results of the study indicate that, generally, “participants trusted and relied on reviews when buying plants online,” with review and satisfaction ratings among study participants being higher for those who last made plant purchases online. Additional analyses were made to identify and gauge:
- Delight
- Impact of reviews
- Performance satisfaction
- Online retailer used
- Recommendation likelihood
Online Retailers Used for Purchasing Plants
Study participants used a variety of online retailers when purchasing plants, but “Amazon was used by the largest portion of the sample, followed by farm direct websites.” Additionally, “online purchasers used a wider variety of options than the in-store purchasers,” indicating more of a willingness to consider other retailers when buying plants online.
For additional insights made from the 2023 study, as well as graphs outlining the differences in participant responses and data, please read the full e-Gro (Electronic Grower Resources Online) alert “Ornamental Plant Repurchase Intent — Online vs. In-Store Sales.” Additional and current e-Gro alert pieces from Volume 14 (2025) can be found online.
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