Although overall sales dipped again week on week, we’ve now had four consecutive weeks of total garden centre sales volumes that are up on all of the past three years.  Even better news for the season ahead is that plant sales are driving those January gardening sales increases.

The GTN Bestsellers weekly sales indexes show that Plants are the only gardening category that is up year to date, by 9.5% currently.

Away from gardening related products the GTN Bestsellers Epos database has seen a huge number of kitchenware sales made in January. Perhaps the link between growing food (the indicators are good for Veg 2 Gro sales this year) and cooking is one that customers really get and are therefore more than happy to choose garden centres as their place to buy new cookware and other kitchen and home items.

Congratulations to all the winners at the GCA Conference this week, but special congratulations to Barton Grange and Fron Goch the Garden Centre of the Year winners and both past gold award winners in GTN’s Greatest Awards.  With GCA garden centres of excellence leading the way it’s no wonder garden centres continue to shine through an overall bleak picture for retail in the UK.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 4

Garden Products Top 50 – down 2%

Growing Media Top 50 – down 43

Wild Bird Care Top 50 – down 17%

Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 17% 

All Plants index – up 20%

All Items index – up 13%

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