Gardening is no longer reserved for plant enthusiasts and avid backyard gardeners. It seems more and more people are taking up gardening in their spare time. Whether it’s a beautiful potted flower plant or lush vegetable garden, or just making sure your house has great curb appeal, it seems like everyone is planting something. And chances are if they’re not doing it outdoors, they’re doing it inside the house, with indoor plants, succulents, and potted trees to brighten up the home.
And the pastime branches beyond American houses and backyards, with more urban farming, and community gardens sprouting up everywhere. The fact is, Americans are gardening more than ever, with an even younger than normal generation taking an interest. According to the annual National Gardening Survey, by Garden Research, in 2018, younger households participating in gardening reached an all-time high. Indoor gardening is also making a big comeback with 30% of all households buying at least one houseplant. Gardening is in vogue again as Americans see the value in planting, be it for enjoyment, food, or sustainability.
Harvesting the Seed of Opportunity
This new wave of gardeners is really getting into it too, spending a record household average of $503 (that’s up nearly $100 over the previous year). So, where is this $500 going? Aside from living plants and planting pots, consumers are buying more products like soil, mulch, seeds, fertilizers, and other plant care products to successfully plant and grow just about anything. And the market is already huge, with more innovative products in convenient packaging becoming available every day. Competition in lawn and garden is at an all-time high!
Whether you’re a start-up company, a growing small business, or a seasoned packager, you know how important the right package is to determine your product’s success. To engage with today’s new generation of gardeners, consider digitally printed flexible packaging to create a package that meets their needs and wants.
But first, what are those needs and wants?
Growing in Convenience
Since there are more products than ever competing for consumers, it’s important to introduce your product in packaging designed to boost the user experience, because a package is more than a vessel; it’s a tool that consumers interact with over and over again. Because of that, you have to make it easy to handle.
As with all packaged goods, consumers want the experience to be hassle-free. A recent study from the Freedonia Group states that consumer preference in the lawn and garden segment is for convenient, user-friendly packaging with traits like reclosable pouches, pour spouts, and other value-added options. Flexible plastic pouches allow for many user benefits like carrying handles, spouts, resealable zippers, and the lightweight that makes the packages easy to carry.
Resealability is a huge market differentiator as it works to reduce spilling and leaking when opening the bag and pouring. Resealability also enables the package to be easier to pour, while keeping a tight seal to maintain product quality.
Speaking of quality, today’s gardener wants the hobby to be fun and relaxing, not stressful with packaging that will tear, rip or leak product. That’s why strength and durability are so key. Consumers want a strong package that can withstand inclement weather, and be sturdy enough to handle time and time again.
That’s why films work so great in the segment – they prevent tears and punctures, and they will not break down in the rain or sun. High-barrier films also work great to keep the elements out, preserving the active ingredients and maintaining quality, even when left outdoors.
Sustainable flexible packaging, such a recyclable, and compostable pouches have also made their way into the garden segment. As more consumers demand eco-friendly options, lawn and garden brands have an opportunity to package their earthy products in earth-friendly packaging.
Cultivating a Safer Package
Another important package consideration in the lawn and garden segment, especially when talking about fertilizers and pesticides, is child resistance. Resealable zippers with child-safe locks ensure that children (and pets) cannot open the bag. The technology is extremely difficult for children to open, yet easy for adults to open and reclose. Packaging that ensures that the product is kept out of the wrong hands eases consumers’ minds when purchasing these types of products.
Will the Best Garden Package Please Stand Up?
Pouches used for the packaging of lawn and garden products not only keep the contents safe and offer consumer convenience, but they also offer better shelf differentiation over other formats. Taking it one step further, stand-up pouches deliver much better shelf presence than lay-flat pouches commonly used for lawn and garden products. But they have a lot of other user perks, too.
Since storage space can be an issue, stand-up pouches take up less space than lay-flat pouches or boxes, and when equipped with reseal technology, are easy to put up on a shelf without spilling. Stand-up pouches also stand up nicely during use, making it easy for the consumer to open, scoop from, or pour.
As far as strong shelf presence goes, it doesn’t get much stronger than the stand-up pouch, as consumers can see the product and its description on store shelves, and later on garage shelves. What’s more is it allows the full brand name, logo, and design to stay front and center on the pack at all times. Stand-up flexible pouches give you tons of space to include your brand name and logo, ingredients, usage instructions and benefits, all to better market your product.
Digital printing on flexible plastic pouches also allow for high-impact graphics, and according to Nielsen, graphics are key! Did you know that 64% of consumers try a new product because the package catches their eye, and 41% will continue to purchase a product because they prefer its packaging? Consider showing the consumer a beautiful flower, a healthy lawn, or dark and rich mulch to illustrate the benefits of buying your product. Whatever design you choose, know that graphics go a long way to capture consumer attention, and keep them engaged.
In the lawn and garden segment, it’s clear that what matters most is the convenience, safety, strength, and design. Only flexible plastic pouches and digital printing deliver the best package that combines all of these qualities to truly engage consumers. Contact us today for a free quote to see how we can create the best package to grow your business.
