How Happy You Were Buying That Plant; ‘Money’ Tells

Thanks to online gardening retailers, avid gardeners and plant lovers could order their choice from a wide array

Updated on: 26 March 2021 4:44 pm

Flowers and plants have a positive effect on emotions and environs. And vegetables plucked fresh ensures satisfaction and a fine fettle. Homes, offices – wherever – the beautiful colours add a sense of serenity.

For avid gardeners and plant lovers, the local nursery may not offer enough varieties. Moreover, COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown restricted shopping experience.

But thanks to online gardening retailers, customers could order their choice from a wide array of plants. While the numbers perhaps did not come anywhere close to the quantity of Biriyanis ordered in India, or maybe Pizza in the West, a study in the UK has found that houseplant shopping makes people 67% happier.

A research conducted by Money.co.uk found that the UK spends three times more when shopping online compared to the global average. The average person apparently paid a whopping £1,382 per year!

Using a variation of the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS), the online comparison service asked participants to record the intensity of 10 different emotions prior to making an online purchase, and after payment has been made.

The website then allocated a score for intensity of each emotion based on positivity, before being added together to create an overall score out of a possible 500 for each item purchased. Thus, higher the score, the better.

Altogether 2,560 participants recorded their mood before their online purchase and again, five minutes after making the payment.

Participants recorded an average score of 287 out of 500 before making a purchase, which Money.co.uk used as baseline.

The result concluded that buying a houseplant brings us more joy than any other transaction. With 478 points out of a possible 500, participants’ moods improved by 67% after buying a plant for the home.

It also claimed that female buyers exhibited more positive emotions, scoring 484 out of 500 against the 473 accrued by male counterparts. Women’s moods improved by 69% against men’s 65% after buying a plant online.

Younger generations tend to enjoy buying items like games consoles and trainers, whereas those aged between 35 and 54 said buying a houseplant brought them the most pleasure, the study added.

For participants aged between 55 and 75, it found that buying a fiction book made them happiest of all.