1.1 Definition and scope of study

Strictly speaking, houseplants are plants grown in pots for use in homes, offices, businesses, exhibition halls and so on. These plants belong to a wide variety of botanical families, chosen for their decorative interest, ease of cultivation and maintenance, and ability to adapt to indoor environments (often insufficiently lit, sometimes overheated and dry). In the broadest sense of the term, indoor plants also include fresh cut flowers.

While there is both a B2C and B2B market, our study will focus on the B2C market, and thus on French household purchases of houseplants and plants (excluding bereavement plants and flowers).

The global houseplant market is booming, with a cumulative annual growth rate estimated at 10.24% between 2022 and 2027 according to[Advanced Market Analysis] . The French are also showing a growing interest in houseplants. The market is growing thanks to an increase in the average shopping basket - in volume as well as in value - of French households.

The main players in the French market are horticulturalists, wholesalers, mass retailers and pure players selling flowers and houseplants. These include Interflora, the Emova group and start-ups such as Bergamotte.

Although the houseplant market was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is expected to return to growth. The industry is being driven in particular by demand from "millenials", who are both influenced by the growing presence of plants on social networks (foremost among them Instagram) and very attentive to the notion of well-being and naturalness. Plant distribution channels are also changing, with e-commerce on the rise.

1.2 A growing global market

The global houseplant market is estimated to be worth nearly US$*.* billion in ****. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of **.**% until ****, to exceed US$ *.* billion. [***]

Market growth is driven by millennials' strong interest in houseplants - an interest linked to their quest for well-being and connection with nature. Social ...

1.3 A growing French market

The French plant market:

In ****, indoor plants accounted for **% of the plant market by value, compared with **% in **** . Kantar' s **** study highlights the breakdown of plant sales by value in France by type.

Breakdown of plant sales in value by type France, ****, in Source: ****

The French indoor plant market: [***]

The graph ...

1.4 Foreign trade in houseplants

On Finances.gouv, using the following codes (***):

*******: Indoor flowering plants, in bud or in bloom (***) *******: Indoor plants, live (***)

France has a large foreign trade deficit in houseplants, with a coverage rate (***) of around *.*% in ****.

Foreign trade in houseplants France, ****-****, € million Source: ****

The same trend applies to fresh cut flowers, ...

1.5 The impact of the Covid-19 crisis

The horticultural sector's difficulties during the crisis:

Over the period March - June ****, the French horticultural sector saw a **% drop in sales compared with the same period in ****. This drop even reached **% for growers.

Florists have also been particularly hard hit, and despite state aid, *% of businesses in the sector had ...

2.1 The French are buying more and more indoor plants

As seen in *.*, the penetration rate for houseplants is improving, reaching **% of households in ****.

Thus, since ****, the French have been spending more on houseplants overall, as evidenced by the rise in the average basket in both value and volume terms.

Evolution of the average basket per household buying houseplants France, ****, in ...

2.2 Profile of houseplant-buying households

Women buy more houseplants than men: **% of buyers are women.

Male-female breakdown of indoor plant buyers France, ****, in Source: ****

Inactive people (***) represent **% of buyers, followed by CSP + with **%.

Socio-professional category of houseplant buyers France, ****, in Source: ****

The graph below shows that the purchase of houseplants increases with age. So, while it's ...

2.3 France's favorite indoor plants

Cut flowers dominate the market with **% of sales by value, followed by flowering plants. Roses account for **% of total sales by value, but are down vs **** (***).

So, strictly speaking, the houseplant market accounts for **% of indoor plant sales by value.

Among indoor flowering plants, the main categories are:

orchids: **% of total ...

2.4 Reasons for buying indoor plants

Why do the French love indoor plants?

Indoor plants are popular for a number of reasons: [***]

City dwellersreconnect with nature Well-being associated with the presence of nature and plants in the home The decorative aspect of plants - particularly among millennials, who like to share their decorations on social networks, especially ...

2.5 Demand for indoor plants from offices and public spaces

The concept of biophilia is a trend in demand that aspires to strengthen contact with nature and living things, which means that indoor plants can have a place in most interior spaces.

According to Les Jardins de Gally (***), the introduction of indoor plants in workrooms can reduce absenteeism by **%.plants also ...

3.1 Sector organization

Simplified industry value chain

3.2 Production analysis

Global overview of flower, plant and shrub production:

There are *,*** companies producing flowers and plants in France.

Flower and plant producers France, ****, in number of companies and jobs Source: ****

Domestic producers suffering from strong foreign competition:

In ** years, the number of companies has almost halved due to foreign competition, particularly from ...

3.3 Distribution analysis

Overview offlower and plant distribution in France:

In France, we can distinguish :

wholesale of flowers and plants: *** companies with sales of €*** million specialized retail: *.* billion € in sales, divided between garden centers, self-service agricultural shops and florists general retailers : Supermarkets (***) and markets and fairs

Retail trade in flowers, plants and shrubs France, ...

4.1 Typology of indoor plants

Traditional houseplants : [***]

Flowering plants:

Orchids: the most widespread and popular, they need light but not direct sunlight Hyacinth: a fragrant, bubbly flower that can be grown in pots. Easy to care for Cyclamen: needs cool, light conditions, but not direct sun. Ideal for winter cultivation in a veranda Kalanchoe: a tropical ...

4.2 Price analysis

An upward trend in prices:

Consumer prices for flowers and plants (***) have been rising steadily since ****, according toInsee. Between **** and ****, prices will rise by *.*%.

Consumer price index for plants and flowers France, ****- ****, index base *** in **** Source: ****

There may be several reasons why plant prices are rising in France.

- Growing ...

4.3 New supply trends

*/ Local and made in France : The growing demand for local and organic products also applies to houseplants and flowers, which need to justify the traceability of their plants. This could boost domestic production, which has suffered greatly from foreign competition.

The Made In France trend: the "fleurs de France" label[***].

Importance ...

5.1 Regulations

The florist profession, which includes plant and flower distribution, requires specific training in technical, sales and management skills. It requires a wide range of skills, from horticulture and plant architecture techniques to sales and marketing. In networks, franchisors take full responsibility for training their franchisees.

In mainland France, there is an ...