The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) January 2024 report showed garden projects increasing, with HARD landscaping at the top of the sales table, with hardy plants, seeds and bulbs also doing well (February 2024).

Recorded by GCA member garden centres the figure shows an encouraging start to the new year with just three of the logged categories down on 2023.

Peter Burks the GCA CEO has said: “Out BoT for January shows an encouraging result for the first month of the year, with sales overall up a touch at + 3.19%.

Clearly, garden centre customers were out in the gardens doing projects, as our hard landscaping category posted the largest increase on last year, and hardy plants, seeds and bulbs, and garden sundries also recorded good positive increases.

From my regular chats with members and my visits to garden centres, I hear that despite the ongoing wet weather, the positive sales continued through February”.

When compared to the same month in 2023, hard landscaping increased +29.07%, with catering following at +12.55%, excluding the miscellaneous category which was +19.18%, and outdoor plants which were +11.26%.

The subsequent category that performed well in January was seeds and bulbs, which was up by +9.54%, then food hall/farm shop at +6.13% and garden sundries at +7.3%.

Clothing also recorded a positive return in January, in comparison to the same month last year, and was up +5.14%. Pets and aquatics also did well at +4.29%, followed by gifts at +0.07%.

However, according to January’s BoT results, furniture & BBQs did the least well, recording a -10.5% figure, with houseplants down by -9.56% and Christmas in at -5.72%.

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.

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