Houseplant sales bloom in July

Houseplant sales were on the up at member garden centres across the country in July (2017) according to the results of our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.

Compared to the same month last year (2016), sales were up 13.95%. Other good sellers during the month included clothing, up 14.4% and catering, up 9.8%.

It was great to see houseplant sales on the increase during July, however it couldn’t beat off the stiff competition from clothing sales, which have been the top seller for the third month in a row.

Seeds and bulbs sales were 7.86% up and food hall and farm shop sales were 0.17% up. Outdoor plants were down -0.22%. garden sundries were down -3.93% and furniture and barbecue sales were also down -3.2%.

Pets and aquatics sales were up 3.92% and hard landscaping was down -0.17%.

Philip Gass, Director at Creative Gardens, said: “July was a good month for us with strong sales increases across the board. The business as a whole saw sales grow 16.5% on July 2016 figures, this increase was boosted by recent improvement works to our Bushmills centre. Our other two locations, Donaghadee and Galgorm Castle, showed growth of around 6%.

“When compared to the same month last year the following departments saw excellent growth: barbecues up 79%, furniture up 117%, helped by increased floor space and better levels of stock, food, confectionary and catering performed well with growth of just under 10%.

“Plant departments did well despite the wet weather, with sales increases of 13% on outdoor plants and 17% on houseplant sales. Our transaction count was up 10.2% on the previous July and our average spend increased by 5.7%.”

Member garden centre sales showed an average overall increase for the month of 2% and a Year to Date growth of 4%.

Justin Williams, Managing Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre, said: “We had an excellent July, 40% up on a reasonable July last year (2016). Garden and furniture and clothing formed the backbone of the increase with a continued strong performance from plants. Plants have been well performing since last September.”

Our 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 reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

Clothing remains a bestseller in June

Clothing remained a bestseller for a second month in our member garden centres across the country in June (2017) according to the results of our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.

Sales compared to the same month last year (2016) were up 16.71%. Other good performers during the month were furniture and barbecues, up 12.07% and houseplants up 7.31%.

While clothing sales are not as high this month as they were for May, it was still the fastest growing category in our member garden centres for the month of June.

The Great British weather was as unpredictable as ever during June, with the north receiving rain and the south remaining relatively warm and dry. We even experienced some rather hot weather for a brief period. The ever changing weather can cause uncertainty when it comes to gardening, which is why it seems customers stuck to buying in non-traditional categories, such as clothing.

Sales in catering were up 4.01% and food hall and farm shop up 0.8%. Hard landscaping sales were down -1.6%, gifts were down -1.93% and pets and aquatics sales were up 3.24%.

Garden sundries were up 0.2%, seeds and bulbs were down -12.91% and outdoor plants were down -3.18%.

Claire Salt, Clothing and Gift Supervisor at Fairways Garden Centre, said: “For this season in particular we have focused on a more casual style of summer clothing and footwear in our clothing department. Our most popular lines without question have been the floaty Italian style of LV Clothing and the stylish yet reasonably priced shoes from our large offering from LJ&R Footwear.

“Both ranges have been hugely successful with our customers and many leave our garden centre either purchasing a summer top or a pair of glittery flip flops!”

Member garden centre sales showed an average overall decrease for the month of 4.64% but they are still showing average overall Year to Date growth of 6.4%.

Our 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 reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

Weather divides North and South in May

Results of our Barometer of Trade show that the weather was a big factor in sales during May (2017) and divided the country.

Compared to the same month last year (2016) sales in the southern part of the country were between 9% to 13% down, whereas the north fared better with sales down by between 2% and 6%.

The weather played a big factor in our member garden centres’ May sales figures, with, contrary to the norm, the north having better weather than the south. However all of our member garden centres had a tough job trying to top the figures from May 2016, which was the highlight of last spring.

Clothing sales were up 35.18% compared to the same month in 2016. Catering sales were also up 7.4% and houseplants at 2.95%.

Outdoor plant sales were -7.5%, seeds and bulbs -16.37% and garden sundries -7.32%.

Furniture and barbecue sales were -12.47%, gifts up 1.22% and hard landscaping -14.39%. Food hall and farm shop sales were up 0.23%.

Martin Cowell, Director at Cowell’s Garden Centre, said: “After a buoyant start in May, which included a bumper bank holiday weekend, the second week in May was a disaster. The daily average temperatures were between 12 and 14 degrees, which certainly hampered sales, however the last two weeks saw the weather improve and sales were flying again.

“We ended May -1% down on 2016, which considering the weather, and record sales the previous year, we were very pleased with. It could have been much, much worse. Our top five performing departments in May were bedding at +6%, perennials +12%, shrubs +6%, garden lighting +88% and irrigation up +24%.”

Member garden centre sales showed an average overall decrease for the month of 4.64% and an average overall Year to Date increase of 6.4%.

Garden centre customers geared up for good weather in April

Customers at garden centres across the country prepared themselves for the good weather by buying furniture and barbecues for their outside spaces according to our Barometer of Trade results.

Furniture and barbecue sales in April were up 37.46% compared to the same month last year (2016) with outdoor plant sales close behind at 33.22%.

We love nothing better than when the sun is shining. Lots of householders have been busy getting their gardens ready in order to enjoy the sunshine. They’ve been purchasing garden furniture and barbecues, so they can make the most of their outside spaces as possible and this has been reflected in the figures recorded by our members.

Garden sundries sales were up 27.65% and hard landscaping up 20.88%. Smaller garden centres showed a greater increase in plants as they make up a greater percentage of their sales.

Clothing was another good seller with sales up 17.36%.

All that shopping must have made customers hungry, as they spent time in our members’ food halls and farm shops too, where sales were up 13.74%. Catering sales were also up 7.40%.

The results are reasonably consistent across the country, but we expect it will be a completely different story with May’s results.

Pets and aquatics sales were up 6.68%, seeds and bulbs were up 3.27% and houseplants were up 9.70%.

Sales showed an average overall for the month of 21.86% and an average overall Year to Date increase of 11.07%.

Our 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 reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

Furniture and barbecue sales sizzle in summer

Customers at our member garden centres made good use of their gardens during the warmer weather with purchases of furniture and barbecues according to our Barometer of Trade results.

Furniture and barbecue sales were up 12.10% with hard landscaping sales close behind at 8.74%.

We did enjoy some good weather this summer and from the results of sales in furniture and barbecues it looked like the Great British public spent a lot of this time in their gardens, which is great to see.

They also bought clothing as sales were up 13.96%. Seed and bulb sales were generally down -16.50% due to the time of the year and outdoor plants were up just 2.55%. Houseplant sales were up 1.48% and garden sundries 6.48%.

Pets and aquatics sales were up 4.07%, food hall and farm shop sales up 1.92% and catering 4.55%. Gift sales were down -3.26%.

Sales showed a Year to Date increase of 4% and August’s overall increase was 5%.

The regions that saw the biggest increase in sales during the month compared to the same month last year was South Thames at 6.77% up and Wales and West at 6.37% up. The Midlands area saw the biggest YTD change of 18.84%.

Steven Palmer, Finance Director at Squires Garden Centres, said: “August was a good trading month for our garden centres with strong sales in plants and lifestyle categories. Our Café Bars continue to trade strongly reflecting the increasing UK trend for eating out.”

Our 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 reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

Philip Gass, Director of Creative Gardens Ltd, said: “August was a decent month trading for us, weather was mixed but nonetheless sales across the board were up around 3% at each of our centres compared to the same month last year. 

“Some of the noticeable improvements on August 2015 was the bird care department, which was up more than 200%, helped by a club customer promotion. Plants were up 8.7% and gardening general was up 15.7%. Coffee shops and gift shops struggled a bit in August, partly as a result of less customer club promotion in the café. Our transaction count was down slightly but average sales increased by 8.1%.”

Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group, said: “It’s been a good summer with all parts of the business working well. Summer is a growth time at the moment albeit on a much smaller scale than the key seasons.”

Non-traditional categories shine despite weather in June

Sales in non-traditional categories at garden centres across the country were up during June (2016) but due to wet weather traditional categories were down according to our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.

Outdoor plant sales were down -4.70% and sales of houseplants were down -1.33% while clothing was up 18.01% and catering was up 10.65%.

June’s BoT figures are a bit of a contrast to what we saw in May. Due to the May Bank Holidays we saw super sales in more traditional categories but June was a bit of a washout with lots of wet weather, leading to sales being down in the traditional categories.

Garden Sundries were down -4.11% and furniture and barbecue sales were at -8.13% while seed and bulb sales were up slightly at 0.07%. Sales in pets and aquatics departments were down -1.37%.

At times like this, when we can’t rely on the Great British weather, we can rely on the fact that many garden centre’s are now destinations with restaurants, cafes and even farm shops and people don’t visit them just for the plants anymore. This is proved in the rise in sales in non-traditional categories. Food hall and farm shop sales were up 4.32% and gifts were up 0.31%.

Sales showed a Year to Date increase of 3.85% and June’s overall monthly sales, compared to the same month last year were -1.47% down.

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

Justin Williams, Managing Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre in Wales, which saw good sales in its restaurant in June, said: “June, in which many core gardening lines struggled against last year’s figures, saw the restaurant hold its monthly average increase on last year of 20%. Last summer, in the restaurant, we invested in a re-fit and increased the number of covers to 200, which has delivered 20% growth since September 1, 2015.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Tammy Woodhouse, Manging Director at Millbrook Garden Centres in Kent and East Sussex, which had good plant sales during June, said: “I would put our good plant sales in June largely down to our Rose Festival, which we have been running for three years. We find it a really good way to shift the focus from bedding and give customers a good reason to visit.

“We work with the growers and they select the best looking roses in flower to send us and we create lovely displays. We hold a preview evening for our best customers, with rose specialists on hand, customers can shop with a glass of fizz and chocolate dipped strawberries and mini rose scones. Not only do we see an increase in our rose sales but it also grows our overall plant sales.”

May Bank Holidays boost garden centre sales

Sales in traditional and non-traditional categories were up during May thanks to the Bank Holidays according to our Barometer of Trade results.

Furniture and barbecue sales were up 35.21% while more traditional outdoor plant sales were up 20.42%.

After a very wet and cold April, May was very much an improvement weather wise and the two Bank Holiday Weekends certainly led to a boost in sales.

For many a traditional Bank Holiday activity is to pop to the local garden centre and it looks like lots of people did this as both traditional and non-traditional categories did well during the month.

Houseplant sales were up 5.56%, clothing sales were up 19.45%, catering was up 7.62% and food hall and farm shop sales were up 11.34%. The only sales that were down were gifts at -0.92%.”

Seed and bulb sales were up 16.52%, garden sundries were up 18.11 %, pets and aquatics up 2.86% and hard landscaping was up 15.97%.

Sales showed a Year to Date increase of 7.5% and May’s overall increase was 17.2%.

Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group, which has centres in Sherborne and Poundbury in Dorset and in Yeovil, Somerset, said: “It was a very strong start to May albeit comparing to two rather ordinary months in 2014 and 2015.

“The second weekend was very busy and perhaps even record breaking certainly against recent years. The mix of product such as plants, compost and pots by the trolley full felt like the old days.”

Our 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.

Julian Winfield, Chairman of the Garden Centre Association and Chief Executive of Haskins Garden Centres, said: “Like all garden centres we have been ready for some warm weather since the beginning of March and it was a relief when the sun came out. 

“The good thing about great weather in May is that everything performs well and it did!”

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

Andrew Pitman, Store Manager at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre in Taunton, Somerset, which is a member of the Garden Centre Association, said: “We had a good first May Bank Holiday and it was helped by the fact we had great weather and some glorious sunshine. It’s always reassuring to see positive Bank Holiday sales when the weather is on our side. Traditional gardening sales were on the up.

“Even with the many other attractions we have on site such as our restaurant and our Craft and Pet centres, trade is, and always will be, measured by the weather.”