Half term sales in garden centres pushed total volumes for October to a new record level, up 11.5% on October last year and 8% ahead of the previous month high set in 2017, but Lockdown 2 meant empty garden centre car parks this weekend as pictured at Langlands Shiptonthorpe on Saturday at 1:30pm.
While Christmas sales accelerated during half term, GTN Bestsellers volume sales from Epos data reports Top 50 Christmas volumes down by 13%, the stars of the show for October were Growing Media and plant sales.
Growing Media sales volumes were up by 45% on last year and plants up by 19% with Veg 2 Gro sales for the month up by 54%.
Early feedback from garden centres over the first weekend of Lockdown 2 was that after two very quiet days on Thursday and Friday business started to pick up at the weekend but with gardening as the main reason for visiting and making purchases.
Watch this space for GTN Bestsellers analysis of week 45 sales which we will publish as an update as soon as all of the Epos data is submitted and collated.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 44
- Garden Products Top 50 – down 18%
- Growing Media Top 50 – up 43%
- Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 99%
- Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – up 5%
- Christmas Top 50 – down 3%
GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 44
- All Plants with Barcode index – up 12%
- All Items with Barcode index – up 11%
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.