Winter is in the air. Will it spark a rush for Christmas?
Once again, the weather is causing sales anomalies for garden centres in 2018. While centres are all set for Christmas, customers have been basking in early November sunshine and the mild temperatures have been sending them into centres to buy more growing media and other gardening products than last year.
Of course, we all know that as soon as the weather changes Christmas sales will start to flood through the tills, just as plants and furniture did earlier this year when the summer eventually arrived. The key then is to have the most enticing displays and the wide range of products to ensure maximum sales.
The weather forecast predicts colder weather, frosts and even snow on hills towards the end of next week, so stand by for the rush!
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 45) Garden Products - up 3% Growing Media - up 4% Christmas - down 21% All Plants Index - down 10% All Items Index - down 5%