UK garden centre sales held steady in July

Added on 28 August 2023

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UK garden centre sales held steady in July

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, commented: “Sales in July have shown resilience amidst the unpredictable weather and 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. This shift can be attributed to adverse weather impacts on outdoor leisure sales and the increased discounting strategies aimed at clearing excess stock. But we can also see that the palpable financial strain experienced by consumers is evident. The escalating cost-of-living crisis continues to prompt individuals to tighten their belts and actively seek savings amidst escalating expenses. July’s Consumer Confidence Index published by GfK witnessed a significant dip of -6 points to settle at -30.