Garden purchasing trends during the lockdown period

Over the last month, we have seen unprecedented changes in the horticulture industry due to COVID-19. With the closure of garden centres across the UK forcing growers online and the extra time at home introducing a vast number of new consumers to the industry.

Just one example is our own online growth; Grow Your Own has noticed a surge in online visitors over the last month, with unique visitors surging to over 400k, and continuing to rise. In a recent press release, the RHS also announced that they have seen consumers' appetite to grow their own food in these times of uncertainty continuing to increase, with a third of a million people, an increase of 316%, visiting RHS Grow Your Own pages which include expert advice for gardening this month.

The most popular products are seeds and plants to grow - so much so that some companies, such as Kings Seeds and Seeds of Italy, have had to temporarily limit/close their sites to catch up with demand. Others, such as Suttons, have even stopped taking orders by the phone and have introduced a queuing system to their website.

Other popular products include coldframes, supports and netting to protect plants and give young plants the best chance to progress. Tools have also been popular among the new gardeners who need all the essentials to start their own growing journey.

Back garden growing, and gardening with the whole family have also been pushed to the forefront of the industry, with plenty of people seeking to spend outdoor time with their children. So, whilst the outlook may be negative in many parts of the industry, the rise in interest in gardening amongst a brand new market promises a positive outlook post-lockdown.

Produced in partnership with Grow Your Own. Glee and Grow Your Own will be hosting the Great British Growing Awards at Glee 2020 on Tuesday 15th September.