millennials

Millennials plant the seed for a profitable business

 

By Rieva Lesonsky

I live with a plant whisperer. Really. My significant other grows giant plants from tiny offshoots and brings dead ones back to life. Last year, in an attempt to trim the herd, I gave all my friends plants he’d grown as birthday gifts.

Apparently, I have plenty of company living in a “house of greenery.” Since 2016 there’s been a surge in the sale of flowers, seeds and potted plants, according to the Commerce Department. This trend coincides with the delay in buying homes by millennials, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The Times talked to the co-owner of Los Angeles-area garden store Potted, who told the paper, “A lot of millennials live in apartments and don’t have gardens…They buy a lot of succulents, hanging plants and air plants.” (There’s a lesson in pricing and payment options in the article as well; it’s well worth a read.)

The trend is so strong, reports the Times, that new nurseries catering to millennials are opening throughout the region. Until recently, many nurseries struggled to keep their doors open due to the drought in California.

Don’t think this is just a California trend, however. The Times cites an abundance of Instagram accounts dedicated to “millennial plant enthusiasm,” including Boys With Plants and Jungalow, which has nearly 1 million followers. There’s even a successful YouTube show, Botanical Baes.

There are lots of opportunities here for budding entrepreneurs. You could sell plants, sell plant accessories, or take care of other people’s plants. Plants could be an easy addition to your inventory at your retail store—even if you don’t currently sell plants.

Millennials Apartment stock photo by Photographee.eu/Shutterstock