Has the heatwave switched custiomer buying away from gifts and home and more into the garden?  That’s a conclusion that can be drawn from July’s GTN Bestsellers analysis.  Overall garden centre volume sales for the month were down by 11% while plants and other gardening lines were up on last year.

In this year of extremes, the last week of July recorded the lowest July weeks sales volumes since at least 2011.  That’s not a disaster as sales volumes during the holiday period are lower anyway, but centres will be working hard to encourage footfall, especially in areas where staycations are being taken.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 30

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 6%
• Growing Media Top 50 – static 0%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 25%
• Wild Bird Care Products Top 50 – down 32%
• All Plants index – up 14%
• All Items index – down 15%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk