Consumers as well as florists agree: the Phalaenopsis is an attractive, easily maintained, durable and elegant flower. Most buyers looking for a pot orchid consider it their first choice and florists – knowing this – wouldn’t dare not stock the famous orchid.
A recent study by the Dutch Product Board for Horticulture signals that no less than 78% of polled shoppers in fact consider the Phalaenopsis an ‘attractive plant’, fitting both a modern and a classic style. Its popularity is also evident in some other statistics: 91% of consumers recognize it when shown a picture and 56% say they have bought the popular orchid before.
Other orchids which polled buyers state they find appealing are Miltonia (75%), Dendrobium compacta (70%), Vanda (67%) and Cambria (65%). Cymbidium surprisingly scores much lower, with only 39% of the polled public expressing enthusiasm. Dendrombium Nobilé is also not very popular.
The reason such other orchids play a secondary role in the market is thus not primarily an aesthetic one, it seems. Unfamiliarity, availability and a relatively high price level compared to Phalaenopsis play a more significant role.
A vast majority of consumers (75%) never looks up any product information when it comes to potted orchids. Of the minority that does do so, 4 in 10 consult the plant label while about 3 in 10 perform an internet search or ask the staff in the flower shop.
Nearly 60% of florists also indicate that the share of Phalaenopsis in their product assortment has been on the increase in recent times, primarily because of its rising popularity.
The Product Board for Horticulture study polled 500 consumers in each of the following countries: The Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France, Russia and (northern) Italy. The participating florists were polled through the organization’s own online florist panels, in France, Germany, the UK and The Netherlands.
Source: Product Board for Horticulture