Garden retail sector sales remain buoyant

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has just released its August Market Update report showing a prevailing narrative for 2023 that despite erratic weather patterns and economic fluctuation, the garden retail sector continues to demonstrate unwavering strength to perform well with a variety of consumer offerings.

Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the HTA, comments:"Sales in July have shown resilience amidst the unpredictable weather and the economic changes of 2023. Overall, garden centre sales held steady, maintaining parity with the same period in 2022. A strong footfall of customers resulted in a notable uptick in transactions, up by +10% compared to July 2022 and +5% versus July 2021.

“However, it's worth noting that the contents of baskets reflected lower-value items, leading to an average transaction value decline of -8%. The decline in demand for garden furniture, from 15% of total sales in July 2022 to 10% this July, wasn't unexpected due to adverse weather impacts on outdoor leisure sales, but we can also see that the palpable financial strain experienced by consumers is evident.

"Responding to these challenges, garden centres are maximising their consumer offerings, which has played a pivotal role in our members’ success this month. Non-garden/gardening categories surged by +18% year-on-year, fuelled by the vibrant activity of cafes and restaurants. This is reflected in the average transaction values, with catering sales soaring by +9% to £10.76. Additionally, the pet category demonstrated strong performance, as did the food and farm shop category."

The full report is available to HTA members on the association's website.

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