Contrary to recent reports in the media of the decline of UK garden centres, leading specialist garden centre and horticultural chartered surveyor Simon Quinton Smith explains why he believes the future of garden centres is actually looking rosy.

“There has been some recent media speculation that garden centres are increasingly under threat of closure. This is just not true.

As the industry knows, Dobbies have closed some of their garden centres, and they have also gone to some of their landlords on their leasehold garden centres, to renegotiate the rents downwards.

In many cases, the landlords have refused to renegotiate the rents and in these situations other garden centres, including Squires, British Garden Centre Group and Blue Diamond have moved into these garden centres, with the knowledge that with their form of retailing, they can make good profits.

Garden centres, like many UK businesses, are under pressure due to falling volumes, and increased costs still accruing with rises in minimum wage, Employer’s National Insurance Contribution plus the increase in rates payable.

However, Britain is a nation of gardeners and although the percentage of plants sold as part of the total turnover has dropped over the years, the total amount of plants sold has not.

The reason for the drop is due to the success of other departments, particularly catering, farm shops and Christmas.   Additionally with customers coming into garden centres to view big ticket products, such as garden furniture and barbeques, and then buying online.

The weather also plays an important factor in turnover and profitability, particularly due to the increase in the amount of rain that we have been receiving at normally busy times of the year, Spring and Autumn.

There is a global community of garden centre owners, who meet every year in a different part of the world, last year in Canada, this year South Africa, and next year Germany, and it is from these trips and meetings that new ideas are learnt.  As I understand it the idea of Pet Cafés, Cappuccinos and Puppuccinos, came when a British garden centre owner saw one in Australia.

Garden centres continue to innovate, who else does Christmas quite so well?  Who has restaurants with 150 – 300 covers, often frequented a number of times a week by loyal customers?

Garden centres are not just about plants and garden sundries. There are pets, aquatics, hot tubs, country and chic clothing, farm shops and food halls. There is always a reason to go to a garden centre, whether or not you have a garden, and in this regard houseplants, which have long been a staple in Europe, have now received a resurgence in this country following Covid.

Garden centres are not just retail places, they are entertainment with children’s play centres, craft centres, gardening workshops, nature trails, and breakfast with Santa.   Anyone out there who is concerned about the future of garden centres, please don’t worry, they are here to stay.”