Summer Entertaining Trends 2018

Garden centres up and down the UK are celebrating the fact that summer, does indeed, seem to be here. So as we look forward to the great British public spending weekends in the garden, be that gardening, casual get together's… or slightly larger get together's, we thought we would share some insights from Pinterest's recently released Summer Entertaining Report.

If you haven't come across Pinterest, or are not too sure why/ how is applies to you, Pinterest is an interesting social media platform, and one that is often overlooked despite its 200m+ monthly users. Added to that  50% of all new users are men, 60% have children and 40% have a household income over 90k a year. So why mention this? Because at its core it is a planning platform for the type of customers that garden centres want to engage with.  Many users use it for inspiration  all things outdoors – everything from garden layouts to summer party themes. It gives a different insight into what the consumers are looking to be do, and what they are planning for their own homes. So what exactly are people planning for this summer?

Garden must haves

Fairy lights have been the go too for outdoor lighting however Globe bulbs (+276% YoY) ia a decor trend we've seen for a while in interiors, and is moving outdoors as people are bring this aesthetic into the garden.

If last year was about fire pits, then this year is about the Pizza Oven. Searches for Pizza ovens have increased by +68% this year as people look to add to their outdoor cooking options. 

Not got a big garden? Well that doesn't seem to be a problem, pinners are looking to make their space work for them with searches for patio party increasing by +123% YoY.

When looking for a theme, look no further than turning the garden into a beer garden, with searches for a beer garden party increasing by +638% YoY. Think Oktoberfest in August and you won't go far wrong.

Move over hammocks… it seems millennial pinners are looking for a little more luxury as they stargaze …  there was a +142% increase in the searches for hanging daybeds.

Outdoors food and drink

It seems easy cocktails are the way forward, in order to avoid turning into a full-time bartender searches for big batch cocktails rose by +60% YoY. However, it seems white wine slushies (+3037% YoY) could be the drink trend of this summer. With that in mind its perhaps not surprising that wine stakeholders also rose by +132% YoY as people look for sensible ways to avoid spilling the aforementioned slushies?

When it comes to BBQ food, grill bombs, are in it seems with an increase of +133% YoY. Essentially, a Grill bomb is just one food wrapped in another, Move over Kebabs! Fresh fruit popsicles (+185% since Jan 2018) keep it healthy yet appetizing for the kids this summer.

Picnics make a resurgence

Pinterest saw a rise in people looking at nature getaways (+337% YoY), so it looks like people are not just looking to bring parties outdoors, but get into nature itself and enjoy being out in the countryside a lot more.

It's not surprising that consumers everywhere have become more conscious of plastics and their environmental impact, searches for eco-friendly, reusable utensils rose by +221% YoY.

Don't forget the kids garden parties get crafty

Gardens are a family space and there are no shortage of ways to keep kids entertained outdoors.  However, summer craft parties (+83% YoY) are on the rise. Particularly, popular to make this summer are mini paper kite's up +291% in the last 4 months.

..... if all else fails and it rain's all summer.... it seems some of us are still planning a little bit of fun. Indoor camping has seen a rise of +287% YoY, so it looks like people are determined to enjoy summer regardless.