An Analysis of Preference for Potted Houseplant Products Using a Conjoint Analysis Method for the Development of Pet Plant Products

Background and objective: Recently, social interest in indoor plants (houseplants) has been increasing. This study was conducted to determine consumer preferences for houseplants by surveying their perception of houseplants, also referred to as “pet plants” using a conjoint analysis method.Methods: For the conjoint analysis, Attribute 1 was defined as the type of houseplants, which was divided into four levels: orchids, oriental orchids, general foliage plants, and variegated foliage plants. Attribute 2 was set as the shape of pots and was classified into two levels: square and round. Attribute 3 was set as the material of pots, and was divided into four levels: earthenware, ceramic, plastic and onggi (Korean style earthenware). Sixteen profiles were extracted through the orthogonal design using the SPSS Statistics. The survey was conducted online in December 2021, and the responses of 320 out of 332 respondents were analyzed, after unclear responses were excluded.Results: A conjoint analysis of the preference for houseplant products was conducted using part-worth function models. When purchasing houseplants, it was found that the material of pots (53.0%) was considered as the most important attribute, followed by the type of plants (34.0%), and the shape of the pots (13.0%) (Pearson's R = .991, p = .000). Foliage plants (part-worth utility = .143) for the type of plants, round shape (part-worth utility = .056) for the shape of pots, and ceramic (part-worth utility = .284) for the material of pots were preferred as a priority. Clusters with similar part-worths were established using the coefficients representing the estimated part-worths for each attribute derived from a conjoint analysis, as a variable. Cluster 1 was a group of 153 people that had 109 females (36.6%), 68 people in their 50s (22.8 %), 59 bachelor's degree holders (19.8 %), and 42 workers in flower business (14.1 %) as the majority for each demographic item. They preferred variegated foliage plants in round-shaped ceramic pots. Cluster 2 was a group of 104 people with 71 females (23.8%), 44 people in their 50s (14.8%), 47 bachelor's degree holders (15.8%), and 30 flower-related industrial workers (10.1%) for the largest share. They preferred foliage plants in round-shaped earthen pots. Cluster 3 was a group of 41 people with 32 females (10.7%), 17 people in their 50s (5.7%), 25 bachelor's degree holders (8.4%), and 9 office workers (3.0%) and 9 workers in flower businesses (3.0%) for the largest share. They preferred general foliage plants planted in round-shaped ceramic pots.Conclusion: In this study, consumers' perceptions of pet plants were confirmed. The findings can be used as basic data for the development of pet plant products, which is likely to aid houseplant producers in creating new income sources, giving positive effects to differentiated plant producers and flower shops.