wyevale trend report
Six things shoppers loved in 2018
The garden centre space is witnessing a shiſt in the way customers shop and engage with gardening content, and have produced a list of what consumers said were their favourite aspects of shopping in the industry last year.
W
yevale Garden Centres is uniquely positioned at the root of the industry’s burgeoning trends,
with its finger on the pulse of the gardening public. Here are six of the most popular talking points and spending habits for gardeners that swept the nation in 2018.
Shopping at your leisure Away from the hustle of the high-street, Brits are searching for more relaxed shopping environments and experiences, and it’s evident that garden centres supply this in spades. Not only a place to shop, they have become a one- stop destination to eat, play, relax and enjoy seasonal events for all the family. Over 62% of us make the most of the restaurant or café with each visit, while over a third of us regularly seek out in-centre activities and events. This is keeping dwell-time high for garden centre shoppers; nearly half of us spend between 30 minutes and an hour with each visit to a garden centre, while a further 19% of us spend up to two hours each time.
Everyday gardening solutions Gardening is viewed by many as complicated or too much responsibility – particularly for beginners. Over a quarter of us (26%) admit we’re no experts in the garden, having just ‘limited knowledge’, but this doesn’t slow our appetite for getting involved. In a bid to support and nurture the nation’s budding gardeners, Wyevale Garden Centres launched a series of monthly jobs and projects for customers of all abilities, and is introducing ‘Garden Solutions’ to its centres for 2019. The dedicated areas will provide an easy guide to common gardening issues - wildlife, scent, easy-care and shade - with plants for small spaces ranged across the garden centre.
Feel good gardening projects Today’s time-poor gardeners are looking beyond the focus of technique and expertise, and towards fun, feel-good gardening that provides a rewarding sense of satisfaction. The physical and mental benefits of undertaking outdoor projects are encouraging new waves of gardeners to put their gloves on, with an increasing drive to get children gardening from a young age.
Paws for thought Pets are seen as fully-fledged members of the family and owners are dedicating the same level of care and attention towards their pets’ healthy lifestyles as they are their own. All Wyevale Garden Centres are pet-friendly, and
GCU March/April 2019
the majority have indoor or outdoor seating areas for you to relax with your furry friend. With British dog-owners now spending tens of billions on their pets each year, the demand within garden centres is at an all-time high. Ranges of pet products are set to expand in 2019 to meet with the rising ‘pooch pound’.
Savvy spending Shopping perks and rewards proved popular for green-fingered Brits in 2018, who sought value-for-money with each purchase. Wyevale Garden Centres witnessed extensive growth of its Garden Club members, which now comprises over
four million gardening enthusiasts, with spend via loyalty schemes up 40% YOY during the peak gardening season.
Social gardening Over a fifth of Brits now use social media as their main source of gardening advice, with platforms offering a forum to share tips, trends and tutorials. Wyevale Garden Centres’ expertise now transcends the garden centre space to provide guidance for inquisitive gardeners on social media, with a growing audience of over 150,000. Weekly broadcasts on Facebook Live, led by the horticultural team, proved particularly popular in 2018 as customers sought new ways to engage with gardening content, driving viewing figures up 220% compared to the previous year.
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