The COVID-19 outbreak is expected to result in serious disruption to the retailing of garden products. The closure of retail outlets in March 2020 left few channels available for purchasing with certain product categories, notably garden plants, seriously impacted. These alongside other channels are unlikely to see a full recovery in sales by the end of 2020 with Mintel forecasting a 22% contraction in the retail value of the sector compared with 2019.

Recent years have seen an increased interest in gardens and outdoor spaces as an area for enjoyment. Mintel expects this development to continue to fuel the growing demand for products associated with leisure such as garden furniture with the impact of staying at home during the COVID-19 lockdown only emphasising this.

The way that garden products are marketed and sold already reveals the importance of online. COVID-19 is only likely to increase the popularity of this way of accessing and buying products. A challenge remains older adults, who traditionally prefer to purchase in-store, as well as garden plants where buying in a retail outlet remains popular.

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and the wider garden products sector.

• The performance of individual product groups within the sector and how these may be affected by COVID-19.

• Impacts that are affecting demand and changing the way that consumers purchase garden products.

• Consumer demand and attitudes towards retailers operating within this sector.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

There is a very broad definition of gardening used in this Report, covering everything from growing stock, gardening tools and sundries to those consumer products bought for the garden such as furniture, barbecues and sheds. The main categories and their broad definitions break down as follows:

• Growing stock – plants, shrubs, trees, bulbs, seeds

• Gardening equipment – lawnmowers, other power tools, hand tools, irrigation equipment

• Garden buildings – conservatories, sheds, greenhouses

• Garden chemicals and growing media – compost, peat, chippings, fertiliser, pesticides, weed killers

• Garden furniture and barbecues – furniture, parasols, patio heaters, cushions, barbecues

• Enhancement features and sundries – statuary, aggregates, etc

The Report also makes reference to other products stocked and services provided by garden retailers (such as Christmas decorations, pets and cafés) to develop footfall and counteract the inherent problems of seasonality in gardening.