College Students’ Perceptions of Sustainable Floral Design and Willingness to Pay for Environmentally Sustainable Attributes

As consumer awareness of environmental issues increases, industries have been restructuring their business models toward greater environmental sustainability. Evidence suggests that sustainable business practices not only foster customer loyalty but also increase consumers’ willingness to pay price premiums for products designed with environmentally responsible methods. Demographic factors such as age and gender also influence consumers’ motivations and willingness to pay for sustainable products. The main objective of this study was to explore traditional college aged students’ willingness to pay a premium for floral arrangements from retail floral providers based on hypothetical environmentally sustainable practices that could be incorporated into a retail floral business. Findings from this study suggest that floral businesses incorporating environmentally sustainable practices into their operations should actively communicate these efforts through promotional and advertising strategies. While the majority of respondents expressed a willingness to purchase from environmentally sustainable floral providers and pay a premium for designs from these floral providers, only approximately one-third reported actively seeking out such businesses when making purchases. Targeted marketing efforts, particularly around university campuses, may be an effective strategy for increasing awareness of sustainable floral providers among younger consumers who are more likely to make purchasing decisions based on environmental considerations.