RANGE REVIEW: PEST CONTROL


about where customers are going to use the products in and around the home/office/garden, and then use appropriate additional space in store as interrupters. Too often “pest control” sections in particular in store can become saturated and difficult for customers to navigate.” Wilsons


of Colchester director


Gary Hopkins provides further insight and says: “Seasonal demands


are based on lots of


factors, including weather. 2018 saw huge demand for flying insect products, such as moth and flies. It is a category driven by distress purchasing, with consumers reacting to a real problem. So, as long as these pests stay around, the market will keep going.


And, although some consumers


are looking for innovation in this market, Gary says “[There is] still huge demand for the traditional methods of traps, poisons.” The pest control market is seeing growth,


real which Gary says


“thanks to EU regulation some of


the poisons are less effective meaning they are having to be purchased more often!”


Rodent control STV owner Edwin Allingham says: “The independent sector has been particularly buoyant over the past six months, held up largely by hardware and DIY retailers, who are not distracted by Christmas and Halloween to the same extent as the housewares and garden sectors.” He adds: “Rodent control has been as reliable as ever, achieving double digit growth through the autumn/winter period, and we’re expecting sales to remain strong well into spring.” Edwin says garden centres need to be more proactive in stocking these products: “It’s an area that garden centres overlook at their peril: rodent control can easily account for 50% of retail sales of chems and ferts, or garden care, during the ‘empty months’ of January to March, immediately ahead of the gardening season. And, it is a very reliable footfall driver during winter months – so keep those shelves fully stocked!” When looking at innovation in the market, Edwin says baits are actually still selling more than electronic


products, and agrees


with Gary that sales have increased since new regulation was put in place: “In value terms, retail sales are split roughly 1/3 each between baits, traps, and electronics. However, rodenticide baits


account for 50% of sales volumes and unit


sales have www.diyweek.net increased 08 FEBRUARY 2019 DIY WEEK 23


significantly since new regulations were introduced in 2017 restricting pack sizes to 300g or less.” He believes it is handy to have diversity


in product ranges,


and offer simple alternatives for consumers: “The Big Cheese offers end-users a comprehensive range of chemical and non-chemical controls under the one brand. Each


product carries a unique on-pack flash – Bait & Kill; Catch & Kill; Catch Alive; Repel – to assist end- users in choosing the right product for their situation. It’s a simple approach, and it works very well. Rodent control is a potentially complex area.” Edwin, like Will and Gary, sees positive growth for the sector in the


future, and says this is due to the team dynamic at STV: “Pest control is not the sexiest product area, but it is arguably the most reliable category in hardware and garden retail. We have an excellent team of staff, a clear sense of purpose, and we’re brim-full of confidence that the year ahead will be a cracker!”


still


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