Confidence in Germany’s garden centres

According to information from the Bonn-based BHB, the federal association of German DIY and building supplies stores, the garden sections of German DIY superstores have on record double-digit percentage growth in turnover for April, both in comparison with the same month last year, on a like-for-like basis and cumulatively.
The VDG association of German garden centres of Bonn has also announced that almost all member companies achieved a clear increase in turnover in comparison with previous years in the period to 30 April. This contrasts with the first three months, when sales limped well behind those of the previous year as a result of the weather and the late Easter holiday.
BHB statistics show the emergence so far of the following tendencies in individual product categories: especially in vogue are the areas of live plants and outdoor living, with all the articles associated with them including window boxes, planters, soil mixes, fertilisers, pesticides, plant care products and decorative articles for the garden.
Manufacturers and distributors alike are reacting to the heightened ecological awareness of consumers with ecologically sound materials and components. Natural materials are dominant where planters are concerned, with flowerpots and window boxes of terracotta and natural clay gaining in popularity. But there is also a strong demand for potting composts without peat content, biological pesticides and organic fertilisers.
May brought the hoped-for sales increases where water in the garden is concerned – from irrigation to pond technology.
In the category of garden/leisure furniture the sales curve in German garden centres is clearly pointing upwards.
The positive trend in the category of garden/leisure furniture continues unabated, with the recording of a marked increase in turnover as well. Whereas the market for plastic goods is stagnant, products of iron, aluminium, wood/metal combinations and natural wood in particular are absolutely in vogue. Many DIY superstores have seen the writing on the wall and now offer only FSC-certified wood products in their range, i.e. using timber from controlled and sustainable forestry management schemes.
The lawnmower is still the most important product in the category of motorised garden equipment, both numerically and by value. Technical developments are moving in the direction of more ecologically friendly and energy-saving lawnmowers that are light to handle. For years output figures and turnover have remained…