Sales may have dipped last week to below or just matching previous years’ levels for the first week since mid-February but the consensus is that the bubble has not burst for garden centres’ increased sales volumes.
Peter Seabrook was the first to tell GTN Xtra that it’s all down to the weather and the wind direction: “I do not think the sales volume bubble has burst, just too cold in the wind during the day and severe frost night after night. We just need the wind to move round to the South West and get some warm rain overnight.”
And Andy Bunker at Altons told us: “Yes it has slowed and trading changed a little but certainly not burst the bubble. We have already beaten April 2019 which is the best way to compare. In the bedding area I have stock but signs up basically saying don’t buy due to the continued threat of frosts!”
As summer plants start to come into stock and sell through in the GTN Bestsellers EPOS data, the only area that continues to have a great lack of stock is furniture and BBQs. Where other gardening products may be out of stock, suitable alternatives appear to be selling through instead.
Other garden centres have reported that this week has picked up well after a slight dip the week before due to retail reopening and the weather.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2019: week 16.
- Garden Products Top 50 – up 9%
- Growing Media Top 50 – up 9%
- Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 5%
- Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 10%
GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2019: week 16.
- All Plants with Barcode index – down 8%
- All Items with Barcode index – down 1%
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