After a very busy weekend the GTN team have just completed the top line volume sales analysis for GTN Bestsellers and for "items sold" Mothers Day Week 2019 was the best for the past 8 years but didn't quite manage to beat the record of Mothers Day 2011.
As that is for "items sold" it's quite possible that in revenue terms 2019 is a new record. So we asked garden centres how their turnover figures compared to last year and previous Mothers Days.
GTN Bestsellers analysis for March shows the month to be up by 40% on last year, but 9% down on 2017. How does that compare to revenue trading? Here are the responses we received today...
Alan Roper – Blue Diamond:
“After a week of great gardening weather Mothers Day provided an early turbo boost to sales.
“Sales for the group excluding the new centres were up 95% year on year for the week and up 41% vs 2017. The new ex-Wyevale stores were up 128% year on year for the week. Star performers were plants and gardening with sales at Newbridge up by 185% on last year.
“However, we must not get too excited over one week there is plenty of time to go.”
Chris Francis – Hillier Garden Centres
“Last week was the largest ever March sales week for Hillier with the Saturday being the largest ever single days sales for our garden centres. Even higher than any day in May 2018 which had 2 record weeks.
“Our restaurants had their largest ever single day on Sunday and the largest ever week.
“March ended +50.4% on last year and +7% on March 2017 and our current financial year (from 1st Sept 18) is running at +17.2% on last year.”
David Little – Poplars
“We smashed our best Mother’s day week record. We smashed our record March. We smashed our best non-Easter trading day in March ever. We have had a record start to the year - first 3 months are best ever.
“March was 53% up on 2018 and 26% up on 2017.
“Our Mothers Day week comparisons are: 177% up on last year and 41% up on 2017.”
Mark Cleary – The Old Railway Line
“March was certainly a lot better than last year, overall sales were up 44.8% for the month with Houseplants 32.4% up and Outdoor plants up 113.7% being the big winners. Compared to March 2017 we are 14.6% up on that month so all in all an excellent start to Spring and let’s hope the momentum keeps going.
“Due to changing our EPOS system we don't have any data for 2011 but 2019 has been the best March since our recent records started in 2012.”
Adam Wigglesworth – Aylett Nurseries
“Perfect Saturday weather after a good lead in resulted in excellent trade both weekend days. Delighted that March 2019 turned out so well, exceeding 2017 by a fraction, but its early days!
“Let’s see what April, May and June bring ...last year’s May will be difficult to match.”
Simon Bourne – Perrywood
“We're just about recovered! At Tiptree Saturday was awesome, we knew it would be busy but the volume took us a bit by surprise. Saturday was
- Best ever Saturday of Mothers day weekend
- Second best day ever. Only £430 behind May Bank Holiday last year
- Most number of transactions in a day
“March was our best ever, up 48% on last year, up 2% on 2017.
“Mother's Day in 2011 was Sunday 3rd April and it was my Dad's 60th birthday. We had booked a nice restaurant and I remember that the champagne flowed that evening after an amazing weekend. Our business has changed a lot since then though so you can't really compare the two years.
“All of the above are based on the garden centre only and do not include the restaurant which has had an incredible few months. A year ago we felt that we were massively over trading but since then we have put on as much as 20% in the busiest months. I'm not sure quite how they do it!
“At Sudbury the coffee shop is now open with a new 90 seat restaurant just in time for Mothers Day. Sales were really good and the numbers were possibly (I have no hard evidence) 50% higher than their previous record.
“Onwards and upwards!”
Mike Burks – The Gardens Group
“It was a very busy last 2 weeks in March taking us 55% up on last year and, more significantly, 12% above 2017 for the month. Saturday 30th was a record day for March with excellent hardy plant and garden furniture sales. The furniture, I think, is a knock-on effect form last summer with customers enjoying the recent warmth and assuming that the summer will be just as good this time round.
“April 2018 was poor until the last week and it'll be important that we keep the momentum of the year so far going because it will be very difficult to match May and June 2018.
Gerald Ingram – Planters and Garden King
“Planters Tamworth had a record Mothering Sunday weekend. We beat the Saturday 2011 by £5,000 and the Sunday by £3,000.
“In the month of March Planters was up 47.7%, Bretby up 64.22% and Garden King up 92%.”
Matthew Bent – Bents
“This year was easily our best ever Mother's Day - see comparison below which goes back to 2009.
“Our March figures were 17.9% up on last year and 5.6% up on 2017.”
Martin Cowell – Cowells Garden Centre
“We had a great week leading up to Mother's Day. The weather was kind and the stock was looking amazing. The team pulled all the stops out as we has a few staff shortages with some away on holiday.
- MARCH 2019/2017 +9%
- MARCH 2019/2018 +66%
- YTD 2019/2017 +19%
- YTD 2019/2018 +56%
“We are very pleased with our current trading figures, with most of the increases over last year on
1. Outdoor plants +82%
2. Bedding plants +84%
3. Gardening sundries +32%
4. Compost +87%
5. Houseplants +34%
6. Terracotta/Stoneware +97%
Julian Winfield – Haskins
“We have had a great weekend, all the stars came into line – Weekend, Weather, Late Mothering Sunday. Excluding Snow Hill, which is being knocked down, all our centres had record days in the centre and restaurant. Gardening did well, houseplants and gifts did well, I have often found that gardening can suffer during the Mothers Day weekend but not this year!
“For March overall we are level with 2017 and +38% up on last year.
“A reasonable start but our challenge this year will be May, when we are up against the best May we have had for many years.”
Charlie Groves – Groves Bridport
“This last weekend was by quite a long way a record breaker for us. Saturday was our busiest every day for the company. Even taking Ivy House sales off as this wasn't open last year, the Saturday before mother's day was our busiest day ever. The Saturday was the busiest day yet in Ivy House Kitchen then that record was beaten again on Mother's Day itself.
“March 2019 has been great. Taking catering out of the equation we were 53% up compared to last year and 24% up compared to last year. If we include catering we are 66% up on 2018 and 34% up on 2017.”
James Ducker – Langlands
“We had a brilliant week. All three centres were really busy and up on last year. Houseplants and outdoor planted containers sold particularly well. There was a great buzz with lots of people about and lots of gardening happening.”
Justin Williams – Fron Goch
“It's been a very busy two weeks here. Mothering Sunday week was the best one to date.
“March is 41% up on last year and 29.7% on 2017, that excludes catering.
“Mothering Sunday catering smashed last year's previous record by 25%. Great start to season.”
And a spokesperson from Dobbies told us:
"Spring trading to date has been very encouraging and we enjoyed record trading for Mother's Day, with new plant and gifting ranges performing particularly strongly."
If you'd like to add your Mothers Day and March trading comments please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk and we'll update the story during the week. Have a great April!
