Physical commerce still in demand, made in France and certified CSR : an OpinionWay survey for Bonial, pioneer and leader in drive-to-store in Europe, focuses on purchasing preparation and, in general, on the uses and attitudes of French consumers in the field of gardening and DIY.
What products did the French buy in the last 12 months? ? What is the average budget allocated to DIY or gardening? ? What are consumers' criteria for choosing a gardening or DIY product?? Where do they shop? What information do consumers look for before purchasing? ?… The answers to these questions are at the heart of this study carried out by Opinionway with a panel representative of the French population of 5,206 people.. The two main findings : 87% of respondents continue to favor DIY and gardening purchases in physical points of sale. And the economic situation requires, the price remains at the heart of the concerns of 94% of them when setting their sights on a brand.
The French are big consumers of DIY or gardening products
74% of consumers have purchased at least one gardening product in the last twelve months and 77% at least one DIY product. otherwise, 54% say they DIY to save money. Priority goes to inexpensive purchases, but the budget nevertheless remains substantial. Indeed, small items of expenditure are necessary but multiply if we look at the average annual budget of 364 euros for DIY and 221 euros for gardening. In these purchases, 45% of them have invested in lighting items (ampoules, luminaires…), one in three (34 %) in painting or decoration (33 %) and more than one in four in screws (27 %). Garden side, terrace or balcony, even indoors, four out of ten French people bought potting soil (42 %) over the past year. A third spent on outdoor plants (35 %) and a quarter for indoor plants (26 %).
The origin of products and the environment at the heart of concerns
If made in France stands out as a criterion for purchasing DIY products for nearly one in three French people (65 %), European products are not left out. Indeed, 57% of consumers say they prefer products made in the European Union. In parallel, 57% of French people will opt for an environmentally friendly product when making their choice.
The bulk of purchases in stores
Nearly nine out of ten buyers (86 %) have made their purchases of gardening and DIY products in a physical store over the last twelve months. Three-quarters (75 %) have opted for brands specializing in DIY and gardening and a quarter (27 %) towards a general brand. In parallel, three out of ten buyers (31 %) made their purchases online, mainly via an e-commerce site like Amazon or ManoMano (27 %). As in the ready-to-wear economy, the second hand is now emerging, although with fewer consumers : only 6% of consumers surveyed made their purchases on this type of platform.
Four purchasing criteria predominate
If 87% of French people look for a multitude of information before choosing a brand, price remains at the center of concerns for 94% of them, just like interesting offers or promotions for more than eight out of ten (84 %). Generally speaking, four criteria predominate : the choice of products, the costs, the ease of access to the store from home and the pleasantness of the purchasing experience are thus considered important by nine out of ten buyers and more (respectively by 96%, 94 %, 91 % et 90 %).
Looking for good deals
The usefulness of information available in stores is most widely recognized : it is highlighted by 85% of buyers. That given to advice from relatives and search engines is balanced : more than three-quarters of buyers consider these sources useful (78% for each of them). Let them be paper (67 %) or online (63 %), the usefulness of catalogs, guides and prospectuses is high, being recognized by more than six out of ten buyers. On their side, the utility score of distributor websites or mobile applications slightly outperforms that recorded by brand websites or mobile applications (62 % vs 59 %) and is very close to that obtained by the videos (61 %).
Popular offers and promotions
Two-thirds of buyers (68 %) wish to be informed of prices and promotional offers from DIY and gardening brands via digital media : by email for 37%, on brands’ websites and mobile applications for 26%, on websites or mobile applications that group together prospectuses, catalogs and promotional offers from brands for 19%. In parallel, 56% still want to be informed via paper media (by catalogs or paper leaflets in the mailbox for 42%, via catalogs or paper leaflets available in stores for 31%). Those aged 50 and over remain more adept at using paper (a preference for 64% of them compared to 48% among those under 50).
