Gardening bloomed during the pandemic, now garden centers want to keep interest up

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. volatile / ˈvɒl ə tl / (adj.) – likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly
    Example:

    The stock market can be volatile, with prices changing rapidly.


  2. citrus / ˈsɪ trəs / (n.) – any of a group of plants that produce sour fruits with a lot of juice
    Example:

    Citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes, are often used to add flavor to dishes.


  3. into high gear / ˈɪn tu haɪ ɡɪr / (idiom) – to start working or operating at a faster, more intense pace
    Example:

    With the holiday season approaching, retail sales kick into high gear as stores offer discounts.


  4. offset / ˌɔfˈsɛt / (v.) – to compensate for something by exerting or applying an opposite force or effect
    Example:

    The company increased its marketing budget to offset the decline in sales.


  5. stress / strɛs / (v.) – to give an emphasis to a statement, fact, or idea
    Example:

    During the presentation, the speaker kept stressing the importance of teamwork.


Article

Read the text below.

Garden centers enjoyed a pandemic boom, particularly with millennials, as people looked for outdoor activities during lockdowns. Now, garden centers are hoping to keep that interest up, even as they deal with higher costs, a tough hiring environment, and ever more volatile weather.


The Garden Center Group, which tracks sales of about 125 centers, said sales are up by about 25% compared with 2019, but stayed flat between 2022 and 2023. Spending on lawn and gardening activities continued to rise, with an average household spend of $616 in 2022, an increase of $74 from 2021.


Younger households in the 18- to 44-year-old age group saw larger increases in spending than older households. The spring season is crucial since garden centers can make about 60% of sales during the 12 weeks of spring.


At Flowercraft in San Francisco, houseplants, vegetable starts, and citrus trees are selling well as the spring season, the biggest season by far for garden centers, gets underway.


Although spring hasn’t quite kicked into high gear yet in San Francisco, smaller items such as four-inch plants or six plants in a pack are selling better than bigger one-gallon to 15-gallon plants.


At the East Coast Garden Center in Millsboro, Delaware, higher costs are another issue.


To offset higher costs, the center had to raise prices. For example, a one-gallon flower was around five dollars, now it’s more than six dollars. Unpredictable weather has also been a challenge that has affected sales, including droughts in some parts of the country while record-setting rain flooded other areas.


And like many industries, garden centers have been hit hard by worker shortages, with many now having to offer higher pay and benefits to attract new employees, further stressing their bottom lines.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Why do you think millennials developed an increased interest in gardening during the pandemic? Do you think millennials will be able to maintain this interest? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What activities did people in your country do during the pandemic? Are they still doing these activities even after the pandemic? What makes you say so? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • In your opinion, what positive outcomes or changes have emerged as a result of the pandemic, despite its negative impact (ex. a more flexible work setup, people found new hobbies)? How do you think these outcomes have impacted people? Discuss.
  • In what other industries did you see significant positive impacts resulting from the pandemic (ex. technology, retail sector)? Why do you think this is so? Discuss.