Older floral customers tend to rely on past purchasing experiences, relish traditional flowers for holidays, and regularly seek to brighten their homes with bouquets, according to a recent study by the Floral Marketing Fund. Remembering those trends could help retail florists find the right balance in catering to Baby Boomers, who may not be interested in the trendy toffee-colored roses and product pairings that lure younger generations to making purchases.

The study, which emphasized that florists should not have a one-size-fits-all marketing approach for customers of different generations, revealed that Boomers are especially attuned to vase life and are price sensitive. The study also found that roses are popular with Boomers for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, and 68 percent of Boomers surveyed indicated they are likely to use a florist to send a bereavement arrangement.

Here are four tips for retail florists to draw Boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — into their shops even while still seeking to capture the attention of younger generations.

Remember Loyalty

Older customers are loyal to their past experiences, the study found. Reciprocating that loyalty by offering the same quality products and experience is paramount, says Sally Kobylinski of In Bloom Florist in Orlando, Florida. Even as In Bloom seeks to reach younger customers, they don’t forget what has made them a staple business in the community for so many years.

Tillie’s Flowers in Wichita, Kansas, offers a monthly buying program to keep customers coming back to the store, says co-owner Jennifer Barnard. For an extra $50 a year, customers can pick up a monthly bouquet and have access to other monthly specials. The strategy also aims to capture some of the business that might otherwise go to grocery stores.

“We can’t beat the grocery store,” she says. “We treat it like a monthly flower club and usually they always buy something else when they are in to pick up flowers.”

The program also promotes brand loyalty. When subscription customers need floral arrangements they think of Tillies, says Barnard.

Online Friendly

While In Bloom devotes a lot of attention to keeping up with trends and marketing to the younger generations, Kobylinski says she is also careful not to alienate her older customers. This includes remembering that they, too, are increasingly shopping online. Both Kobylinski and Barnard say even those walking into the store or calling to place orders have likely looked at the website.

Having an easy-to-navigate, high-functioning website is essential, Barnard says. By focusing on website useability customers can easily find what they are looking for, she says. Drop down menus with plenty of sorting options including occasion, product, and specials help direct users to the right product.

Tailored Social Media

Not only are Boomers making more purchases online, but they are also spending plenty of time engaged in social media. While older generations are often associated with scrolling through Facebook, many are also active on Pinterest and are increasingly logging on to Instagram and Twitter, the study found. More than 40 percent of Boomers are on Instagram and slightly less than 40 percent are Twitter users, according to the study.

Kobylinski says the key to marketing to Boomers on social media is to make sure her older followers understand the lingo in posts. When her team suggests using “WFH” in a post, she might recommend adding “(work from home)” as a way to help educate and communicate with her entire customer base.

Barnard recently launched a new Facebook Live video “What’s New at Tillie’s”  every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. She got the idea from Chris Norwood, AIFD, PFCI, vice president at Tipton & Hurst Florist in Little Rock, Arkansas, who speaks directly to Boomers with a regularly scheduled, middle-of-the-day Facebook Live.

“I’m trying to hit different ways of marketing on social media because each demographic shops differently,” Barnard says.

Selling the Benefits of Flowers

Nearly 80 percent of Boomers perceive cut flowers as helping to improve their overall mood. They are also likely to see flowers as a way to improve workplace morale (74 percent), household mood (76 percent) and reduce stress (72 percent), according to the study.

“ biggest thing we saw was telling people the benefits of flowers is important,” says Julie Campbell, an assistant research scientist of horticulture at the University of Georgia and one of the study’s three authors. “A floral ad that tells people flowers show you love your mom, they are good for your health, and makes you happy, works. Tell people that flowers are really good for you.”

While it works across generations, Boomers are the most likely to agree with that messaging, Campbell says.

Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.