Rain over France

The accustomed rates of growth were no longer achievable for the French garden sector in 2001. Accustomed as it was to annual growth of three per cent in the past five years, the 1.1 per cent decline in market volume to 5.466 bn euro was a very poor result for the French garden sector, as a market survey by Promojardin ascertained. The very rainy spring is held to have been responsible for the result. Another factor is the decline of replacement purchases after the storm of 1999, which left their mark on growth in 2000.
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Little demand for power tools
The greatest decline in sales was recorded by portable power tools, which accounted for a figure of 331 mio euro in 2001, or eight per cent less than the year before. Fencing and shade systems made of wood and plastic were also less in demand: sales here fell by five per cent to 336 mio euro. Business was poor in the case of outdoor plants (minus four per cent) and machinery (minus two per cent) as well.
At three per cent the garden equipment category recorded the highest growth: sales of 529 mio euro were generated here. Furniture and barbecues achieved an increase of two per cent (483 mio euro). The sale of house plants also showed an increase, up by two per cent to 528 mio euro.
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The biggest share of the combined turnover of 5.466 bn euro went on outdoor plants (17 per cent), followed by machinery (13 per cent) and bio-chemical products (12 per cent).
DIY stores the main marketing channel
The trading groups specialising solely in garden articles cover over half of the total market. In France the DIY superstores are the main marketing channel for all products to do with gardening. In 2001 they were responsible for 21 per cent of overall sales, even though they generated 0.7 less than in 2000. The self-service agricultural stores and other “multi-specialists” were on the winning side, achieving the highest rate of growth at four per cent. The garden centres sold only 0.4 per cent more than in 2000. The poorest performance of minus seven per cent was produced by the direct marketers and builders’ merchants, followed by specialist retailers (machinery, electrical, pools) at minus four per cent. The garden business in supermarkets, hypermarkets and department stores did not go well either (minus three per cent).
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Although the year 2001 was not a positive one for the industry overall, gardening as a hobby continues to enjoy a deal of popularity, with 69 per cent of the…