AmericanHort, along with its research affiliate the Horticultural Research Institute, will introduce “SHIFT: An AmericanHort initiative” at Cultivate ’15. The research project takes a hard look at the future of the industry and how it can rise to the challenge of meeting modern and future consumers’ expectations, the association says.
“Along with our research partner, the MindMarket program of the Columbus College of Art & Design, we explored retail trends among various consumer products, reviewed the existing research on our own industry, and directly included the perspective of our future customers, the millennials,” said Michael Geary, president and CEO of AmericanHort. “This is a collaborative effort that included our members and nonindustry professionals in order to give us an informed perspective about the possibilities. One thing is certainly clear, now is the time to make the shift to ensure future profitability.”
The resulting data, insights and recommendations will paint a picture of future industry trends, offer steps and changes to help the industry evolve and help industry businesses get ahead of the curve, the association said. AmericanHort said its members will see insights and recommendations from continuing research through training pieces, webinars, educational sessions and more.
