Who budgeted for this? Garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers Epos database over the past five weeks, which compare with the first five weeks after re-opening last year, are 4% up, and plant sales over the same period are 10% up.
In conversations we had with garden centres last year, they said “we’ll never achieve those highs again.” Instead, we’ve seen new record June sales weeks and with the weather holding the signs are that this could continue through into July.
Last week, All Sales Volumes in the Epos data were 25% up on the same week last year, with growing media sales up by 34%. That is indicative of at least a quarter and up to one third more gardening activity currently taking place. Does that mean more than three million new gardeners in the marketplace or just the new gardeners from last year becoming even more active?
With two weeks to go to the half year we could be looking at a year-to-date position at 15% up on 2019. Dare we think about even more increases in 2022?
Please note our last week, year on year comparisons, below, are now back to 2020.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 24.
- Garden Products Top 50 – up 15%
- Growing Media Top 50 – up 34%
- Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 24%
- Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 33%
GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 24.
- All Plants with Barcode index – up 26%
- All Items with Barcode index – up 25%
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
