As consumer interest in wildlife-friendly gardening continues to grow, leading bird food manufacturer Johnston & Jeff believes garden centres are ideally positioned to benefit from the expanding garden wildlife market.

Traditionally, wild bird feeding has been a well-established category within garden retail. However, today’s consumers are increasingly looking beyond birds and seeking ways to support a wider range of garden wildlife, including hedgehogs, squirrels, insects and pollinators.

According to Johnston & Jeff, this shift presents a significant opportunity for garden centres to expand their wildlife offering and increase customer spend through a more holistic approach to supporting nature in the garden.

Richard Johnston, Managing Director of Johnston & Jeff, said: "Customers are becoming more engaged with the natural world around them. Many people who begin by feeding garden birds soon become interested in supporting other wildlife species as well. Garden centres are perfectly placed to help customers create thriving habitats that benefit a wide range of wildlife."

The company has seen growing demand for products that support multiple species and habitats, including specialist foods, nesting products and habitat solutions for hedgehogs, squirrels and pollinating insects. This reflects a broader consumer interest in biodiversity, conservation and nature-friendly gardening.

Johnston & Jeff believes garden centres have a unique advantage in this market thanks to their ability to combine plants, wildlife products and expert advice within a single destination.

Rather than merchandising wildlife products as separate categories, the company recommends creating dedicated wildlife zones that bring together bird food, feeders, hedgehog food, insect habitats, nesting products and wildlife-friendly gardening solutions to provide a stronger customer proposition.

"The opportunity extends far beyond simply selling bird seed," adds Johnston. "Consumers increasingly want to create gardens that support nature throughout the year. Garden centres can play a key role in helping them achieve that while also benefiting from increased footfall, repeat visits and higher basket spend."

As public awareness of biodiversity challenges continues to rise, Johnston & Jeff expects the garden wildlife category to become an increasingly important growth area for garden centres and the wider garden retail sector over the coming years.