After that great start to 2014, the past few months have not been as good as last year and there has been a sense of: “if only it had been a really bumper year and sales had stayed up on last year all summer long.”

Well, when you compare this year’s GTN Bestsellers Total Volume sales data to the monthly averages for the previous five years, the year really does take on bumper proportions, with only two months – May and June – dipping slightly below the “average”.

Year to date, the garden centre sales volume total is running 5.8% above the previous five-year average.

The rest of the year now rests on Christmas, which has got off to a flying start with personalisation and LED wall pictures leading the way. 

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year

• Garden Products – down 10%
• Xmas Products  – down 12%
• Growing Media – up  40%
• All items index – down 7%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk