Mintel has regularly reported on this market since 1998 and has been witness to the major changes that have taken place over that time. Volume sales increased from 38.3 million in 1995 through to 43.5 in 1997 to peak at 49.6 in 1999. The last report in 2002 noted the significant volume contraction that had taken place since then and reviewed the key reasons for its occurrence. It also concluded that some growth would occur between 2002 and 2006 with growth deriving from existing and newly-launched titles as publishers better identify market gaps and fine-tune products to meet them.

In practice the market continued to show a small decline in volume sale between 2001 and 2003, accompanied by an increase in value, but the market is still substantially larger in volume than was the case in 1995 and Mintel is confident that volume growth will return in 2004. This report sets out to show that real consumer demand exists for home interest and gardening titles, based on a genuine interest in design and the home that appears to be still growing. As happened in the latter 1990s we would expect to see more buyers brought into the market sector, primarily attracted by new titles that offer something different, and coupled with the addition of younger adults as they move into a home-making phase.