The Horticultural Trades Association’s October Market Update shows garden centre sales rose 6% in September 2026. Gardening category sales were up 11% year on year after a difficult August, while overall sales were 13% higher than in September 2024.
The rise in gardening category sales may reflect people returning to their gardens after the extremely hot, dry summer and a longer gardening season thanks to warmer-than-usual weather later in the year. However, September usually accounts for only 7% of annual garden centre sales, so the increase has had a limited effect on the year-to-date figures.
Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the HTA, said: “September brought some welcome recovery for garden centres, but it is important to keep this in perspective. Gardening sales are still behind last year, showing how difficult it has been to recover the ground lost over the summer. A change in the weather does not mean the effects of the extreme conditions have gone away.
“Consumer confidence has risen for three months in a row and is now at its highest level since August 2024, but remains negative at -13. People are still cautious about spending, which continues to make trading difficult for retailers.
“The weather remains a serious concern, with Temporary Use Bans continuing to affect around 30 million people. The Environment Agency says rainfall will need to reach 120% of the average over the coming months for the country to be out of drought by spring. While funding for reservoir construction, changes to the abstraction licence application process and the new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce are welcome steps, more support is needed to help horticultural businesses secure reliable water supplies and invest in resilience. The HTA continues to call for practical measures and long-term investment in water storage and infrastructure so members can manage increasingly unpredictable conditions and keep growing the plants people, communities, and the environment depend on.
“At the same time, higher employment, supply chain and fuel costs are squeezing margins. Sales growth is welcome, but it does not necessarily mean better profits. Our members are working hard to adapt, but they need a supportive business environment and policies that recognise horticulture’s contribution to jobs, local economies and the UK’s green infrastructure.”
This month’s headline data show sales of hardy plants, shrubs, trees and seeds were up 20% from September 2025. Indoor plant sales increased 11%, and bedding and other plants increased by 10%. Garden furniture saw a smaller increase of 1% and remained 11% below September 2024, while sales of barbecues and heating products fell by 8%.
The number of transactions, excluding catering, rose 2% year on year. Average transaction value increased 5% to £22.20 excluding VAT, ahead of the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.3%. Café and restaurant sales rose 7%, boosting overall performance, while non-gardening sales excluding catering rose 1%.
For the year to the end of September, overall garden centre sales were 2% higher than in 2025 and 12% higher than in 2024. Excluding catering, sales were unchanged from 2025. Gardening category sales were still 1% behind 2025, although the gap has narrowed since August, and 8% ahead of 2024. Non-gardening sales, including catering, were 6% higher year on year, with catering sales up 9%.
September was the UK’s fourth-warmest on record, with temperatures 1.7°C above the long-term average. Rainfall across the UK was 104% of the long-term average, and sunshine was near average. However, the national picture does not show the regional differences or the continuing impact of the prolonged dry weather.
The HTA’s monthly Market Update brings together garden centre sales data with consumer confidence, weather, inflation and other economic measures affecting the horticulture sector. HTA members can find more detail in this month’s Market Update on our website.
