Small Increase in Garden Centre Sales Despite Wet Weather

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) figures for May are out today (June 19, 2024) and reveal that despite the weather there was a small positive year-to-date increase of +3.72%. According to the data from the organisation’s member garden centres, 11 of the 13 categories recorded when compared to May 2023 were up too.

GCA CEO, Peter Burks, says: “As expected, given the lack of any sort of decent weather for gardening, some of May’s traditional sales have come in slightly down on last year.

“However, it is interesting to note that the results for the two smaller turnover bands show quite nice increases, up respectively by +7.18% and +4.95%, it is the largest garden centres that seem to have suffered the most and are down slightly by -3.44%.”

“As usual, in bad weather, the best performing categories were once again catering, clothing, food halls and farm shops and giftware. Overall, we are still seeing a small positive increase in the year-to-date figure and our members seem on the whole pretty pragmatic about the weather.”

Excluding the miscellaneous section (+34.52%), the GCA’s top performing category in May 2024 was catering, up +17.97%, when compared to the same month in 2023. This was followed by clothing +15.34%.

Gifts was the fourth best performer of the month in at +10.58%, the food hall/farm shop category came in next at +10.47%, then pet & aquatics +6.31%, houseplants +3.81%, garden sundries at +2.76% and furniture & BBQs +2.31%.

Christmas was +1.04% and hard landscaping at +1.01%, outdoor plants at -1.22% and seeds & bulbs -31.18%.

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT allows members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit: www.gca.org.uk.