The UK’s garden centre sales in April do not look very encouraging

GCA CEO, Peter Burks.

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) for April is out and shows that only the clothing and catering categories produced positive results.

There was also a positive, 3.77 per cent, year-to-date variance, but 10 of the 13 categories recorded were down when likened to April 2023 according to figures from the organisation’s member garden centres.

Peter Burks, GCA CEO, explains: “As expected, with Easter having fallen in March this year, the April figures do not look very encouraging and definitely back-up the sentiments I heard on my visits to our members during the month.

“Our smaller centres did much better than the larger ones, actually managing to be up a little bit, but overall, the average was down by 5 per cent. There were only two categories producing positive results – clothing and, once again, catering, which is still coming good and suggesting that there were plenty of people in the centres, but the weather was stopping them from buying plants, furniture and other gardening items.

“However, it’s not all doom and gloom as anecdotal evidence from our members suggests May has already started off well, boosted by the much better weather. We’ve had one reasonably good Bank Holiday and hope the next one to come will be even nicer.”

Excluding the miscellaneous section (+21.33 per cent), the GCA’s top performing category in April 2024 was clothing, up +14.43 per cent, when compared to the same month in 2023. This was followed by catering +13.05 per cent.

Food hall/farm shop came in next at -1.28 per cent, then hard landscaping at -1.5 per cent, garden sundries at -1.97 per cent, gifts -2.44 per cent, seeds & bulbs -2.74 per cent, houseplants -5.99 per cent, pet & aquatics -6.76 per cent, and Christmas at -7.96 per cent.

Bringing up the rear were outdoor plants at -10.25 per cent and furniture & BBQs -11.08 per cent.

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT allows members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

For further information, visit: www.gca.org.uk