The Barometer of Trade (BoT) February figures released by the Garden Centre Association (GCA) show a 'very encouraging month' despite the 'poor weather'.
© GCA
More than two thirds of the categories recorded by garden centre members, were up when compared to the same month in 2025 with clothing recording +10.48%, followed by food hall/farm shop in at +9.69%.
GCA CEO, Peter Burks, says: "Despite the poor weather, our members have again had a very encouraging February 2026, with the month being almost 7% up against last year and resulting in a year-to-date increase of 7.56%.
"Only two departments showed a decline in sales. There were good increases across all three gardening categories, plants, seeds and bulbs and gardening sundries. The non-gardening categories also showed up well with good increases in gifts, clothing, food hall/farm shop and in catering. We now move into some much more challenging figures year-on-year, as of course the sun started shining from early March last year and didn't stop from then onwards."
Seeds & bulbs came third in February's BoT named category line-up at +9.02%, followed by outdoor plants with + 8.85% and catering showing +8.58%.
Garden Sundries came in next, recording +8.04%, then gifts at +7.97%, followed by furniture & BBQ up +4.2%. Pets & aquatics also registered positively for the month when compared to February 2025 at +1.15%.
The two significant categories that recorded negatively in February were houseplants at -0.05% and hard landscaping down by -13.74%.
For more information:
Garden Centre Association
Tel.: 01244 952170
[email protected]
gca.org.uk
