Report predicts 0.8% growth for garden retail in 2015

Key Note Market Intelligence has published a market report on the horticulture retail industry, forecasting 0.8 per cent growth in 2015 and 1.2 per cent in 2016.

This Key Note Market Report examines the market in the UK, covering growing stock (such as seeds, bulbs, plants, trees, shrubs); garden assets, buildings and furniture; garden tools and equipment (including lawnmowers and power tools); and garden care products (such as fertiliser, pesticides and compost).

According to Horticultural Retailing, the UK market grew by just 0.9 per cent in 2014, as the sector continues to be affected by economic uncertainty and unpredictable weather conditions.

Growing stock is the largest sector within the market, and accounted for 46.7 per cent of total sales in 2014, followed by assets, buildings, furniture and ancillaries (31.1 per cent), garden care (11.2 per cent) and garden tools and equipment (11 per cent).

Growing stock, including indoor/outdoor plants, trees, shrubs, bulbs and seeds, grew by 1.5 per cent over the past five years, while garden care products, such as growing media, fertiliser and agrochemicals, increased by 3.1 per cent. Garden tools and equipment exhibited the highest level of growth over the same period, at 5.4 per cent; this compared with a fall of 5.5 per cent in assets, buildings, furniture and ancillaries.

The report states: "Gardening remains one of the most popular hobbies in the UK, although the recent economic downturn has affected demand for big-ticket horticultural products, such as garden furniture, lawnmowers, greenhouses, garden sheds, etc. However, gardening appears to be growing in popularity among younger generations in recent years, thanks to popular gardening television programmes such as the Big Allotment Challenge and Love Your Garden, as well as the UK’s ageing population that will continue to sustain the horticultural retailing sector in the future. As such, Key Note forecasts retail sales of horticultural products will grow by 0.8 per cent in 2015 and 1.2 per cent in 2016."

The report excludes sales in the commercial sector.

The executive summary states: "The economic downturn in 2008 and the recession that followed have had a prolonged and devastating impact on the retail sector, including the market for horticultural retailing. In 2012, retail sales of horticultural products declined by 2.4 per cent and stagnated in the following year; however, the market rebounded in 2014 thanks to mild weather that year, with sales rising by an estimated 0.9 per cent.

"By sector, the market for growing stock is the largest, making up an estimated 46.7 per cent of the total retail sales of horticultural products in 2014. It was followed by the market for garden assets, buildings, furniture and ancillaries, at 31.1 per cent. Garden tools and equipment, as well as garden care products, made up the remaining 22.2 per cent of the total sales."

Source : Matthew Appleby - Horticulture Week
www.hortweek.com