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A rating-based conjoint experiment combined with eye-tracking analysis was used to investigate the effect of plant attributes on consumer purchase likelihood for indoor foliage plants. The experiment assessed the effects of plant type (DracaenamarginataLam., Guzmania lingulata, or Spathiphyllum wallisii Regel), volatile organic compound (VOC) removal capacity (high, low, or none specified), price ($10.98–14.98/plant), production method [certified organic, organic production (not certified), or conventional], and origin (in-state, domestic, or imported) on consumer preferences. An ordered logit model was used to analyze the data. Organic productionmethods, in-state origin, domestic origin, and high VOC removal increased participants’ purchase likelihood. Visually attending to the highest price point ($14.98) increased consumers’ purchase likelihood. Age, gender, child (<12 years), pet, relationship status, education, and ethnicity affected participants’ purchase likelihood for indoor foliage plants. Purchasing barriers for indoor foliage plants are also discussed. Results have implications for indoor foliage plant growers and retailers as they produce, promote, and sell their products. Indoor foliage plant production has been an important industry in Florida since 1912, when Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata L.) were first mass produced there (Mitchell, 2008; USDA-NASS, 2012). In 2009, Florida produced 72% of the United States’ indoor foliage plants with a total gross sales value (wholesale and retail) of $453.5 million (USDA-NASS, 2012). Recently, many factors have negatively impacted the indoor foliage plant industry including the economic recession (Carter, 2014; Lerman, 2013) and an industry reaching maturity, characterized by business consolidation and overall decreased demand (USDA-NASS, 2014). For instance, in 2013, U.S. foliage plant sales decreased 1% from 2012 (USDA-NASS, 2014). Promoting new plant attributes that are relevant to consumer needs and interests is one strategy to mitigate decreasing demand (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2007). Novel product attributes can meet new market needs, facilitate product differentiation, justify higher price points, and increase profit margins (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2007). However, new product attributes and promotional materials need to align with consumer preferences to be successful. Thus, evaluating consumer preferences toward novel indoor foliage plant attributes is required before growing and promoting plants with those attributes to reduce grower and retailer risk. Consumers have preferences for plants that benefit the environment and/or improve human health (Behe et al., 2014; Brethour et al., 2007; Hall and Dickson, 2011). Retailers could successfully use healthand wellbeing-related benefit information to increase consumers’ interest, but marketers may be unsure of how consumers will react to these specific benefits. Brethour et al. (2007) found that indoor and outdoor ornamental plants provide numerous economic, environmental, and human lifestyle benefits, including reducing noise/light pollution, providing habitat for wildlife, and improving air quality. One unique benefit of indoor foliage plants that is often overlooked is their ability to purify air by removing VOCs (Liu et al., 2007). VOCs are air pollutants (including benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene) from common household products (such as carpeting, furniture, paint, etc.) that adversely affect human health and reduce air quality (Soreanu et al., 2013; Sunkhapongvitit and Jinsart, 2012;Xu et al., 2011).Many of these benefits are not well understood by the general public, and unlike the food sector, the horticulture (green) industry is among the least proactive in communicating benefit information to promote sales (Brethour et al., 2007; Solano, 2012). Hall and Dickson (2011) suggest the green industry use these benefits in promotions to increase consumers’ perceived value. Through increasing perceived value of a product a firm has the potential to increase demand (Salois and Reilly, 2014). This manuscript offers meaningful contributions to consumer behavior literature on eye-tracking technology, novel plant attributes, and barriers to purchase for indoor foliage plants in Florida. First, eye-tracking technology has been used in the horticulture industry to investigate consumer preferences for plants (Behe et al., 2014). Eye-tracking technology accurately records what consumers view while making purchasing decisions. However, there is still a substantial amount of information to be gained from integrating eye-tracking analysis and other experimental methods (Agarwal et al., 2014). For instance, many experimental methods assume participants view all available product attributes and select the product that provides them the most benefits (i.e., utility theory); however, this may not be true (Hensher and Rose, 2009). Eye-tracking analysis allows researchers to correlate visual attention and subsequent consumer choices. A second contribution is the investigation of consumers’ interest in VOC removal, production methods, and origin (attributes are discussed in the next section). Few studies have quantified the effects of environmental/ human well-being information on consumers’ preferences for indoor foliage plants. However, as consumers become increasingly conscious of personal and environmental health, their interest in these attributes will likely increase. Lastly, we determine consumers’ primary barriers to purchase indoor foliage plants. To the authors’ knowledge, consumers’ barriers to purchase for indoor foliage plants have not been investigated in the past. Knowing what hinders consumers’ purchasing of indoor foliage plants benefits breeders, developers, growers, marketers, and retailers by giving them the opportunity to address potential barriers before consumers purchasing the product. In the end, addressing barriers to Received for publication 1 Apr. 2015. Accepted for publication 19 June 2015. We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Corresponding author. E-mail: hayk@ufl.edu. 1524 HORTSCIENCE VOL. 50(10) OCTOBER 2015 purchase can improve the consumers’ experience and influence future buying decisions. Plant Characteristics and Consumer Preferences The three plant characteristics of interest were VOC removal, production practices, and product origin. Very few studies address consumers’ perceptions of VOC removal for indoor foliage plants. However, since consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, research suggests leveraging personal health benefits (including VOC removal) in the ornamental plant industry to add value and differentiate products (Brethour et al., 2007; Hall and Dickson, 2011). Solano (2012) investigated consumer willingness to pay for VOC removal by indoor foliage plants. Consumers were willing to pay between $17.45 (74%) and $18.40 more (90%) for indoor foliage plants that remove VOCs. However, the amount of VOCs removed by plants varies widely by species (Liu et al., 2007), which may impact consumers’ preferences. Despite this variance, studies indicate there is potential to use VOC information to add value and generate consumer interest in indoor foliage plants. Alternative production practices (i.e., organic production methods) that are ecologically friendly and enhance environmental/ personal health have been shown to affect consumer preferences and demand for products (Haumann, 2012; Hawkins et al., 2012; Schimmenti et al., 2013; Yiridoe et al., 2005). In 2011, U.S. organic industry sales increased 9.5% to $31.5 billion (Haumann, 2012). Although the majority of those sales (93%) are attributed to organic foods and beverages, there is potential to use alternative production methods to add value to horticultural products (Haumann, 2012; Schimmenti et al., 2013). Increased consumer interest in organic products has been linked to amplified awareness of environmental consequences, social responsibility, healthy lifestyles, and sustainable living (Stewart, 2007). However, before implementing organic production practices, knowing consumer interest is important because considerable financial and labor resources are required for producers to obtain and maintain organic certification (Organic Trade Association, 2013). Previous research on consumer preferences for organic ornamental plants yielded mixed results (Hawkins et al., 2012; Schimmenti et al., 2013; Yue et al., 2011a). Hawkins et al. (2012) and Schimmenti et al. (2013) determined consumers prefer, and are willing to pay more for, organically produced ornamental landscape plants. However, Yue et al. (2011a) found limited consumer interest for organic ornamental landscape plants. The inconclusive results paired with limited studies on consumer preferences for organic indoor foliage plants leads one to question—how do organic production methods impact consumer preferences for indoor foliage plants? Although indoor foliage plants are not exposed to the outside environment, they contribute to indoor environments where people may be exposed to the chemicals (i.e., pesticides and fertilizers) that have been used to grow them (Stewart, 2007). Furthermore, consumers are becoming more conscious of long-term environmental health impacts, which may increase their awareness and desire for organic indoor foliage plants (Brethour et al., 2007; Hall and Dickson, 2011). To the authors’ knowledge, currently there are no studies investigating the effect of organic production promotions on consumers’ purchase likelihood for indoor foliage plants. The last attribute is product origin. Evidence suggests that consumers are interested in origin information, especially on food products (Adams and Salois, 2010; Collart et al., 2013; Curtis and Cowee, 2010; Keeling-Bond et al., 2009; Onozaka et al., 2010). Bond et al. (2009) suggests using locally grown promotions to add valu

Consumer Response to Novel Indoor Foliage Plant Attributes: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment and Gaze Analysis