August garden center sales increased

Garden Centre Association (GCA) members recorded an overall sales increase of +1.64% during August when compared to August 2025 according to the body’s latest Barometer of Trade (BoT) released today (September 21, 2026).

Despite the continued hot weather, no rainfall and widespread restrictions on watering at home using hoses affecting gardening activity across the UK, member garden centers maintained positive overall growth.

GCA CEO Peter Burks explains: “August was a difficult month for gardening with the continued heat and lack of rain and the widespread hosepipe bans.

“While our member centers recorded that some traditional gardening categories experienced declines, strong performances in catering, furniture, clothing, food retail and gifts helped support the month’s results and kept the year-to-date figure positive at +2.4%.

“So, as usual, the non-gardening categories did what they are there to do and both encouraged customers in and to spend some money whilst visiting which propped up the overall result. We are now looking forward to a good autumn as it cools down and we’re anticipating a lot of planting will take place now as gardeners catch-up with their jobs before the winter and also as replacement plants are required.”

© Garden Centre AssociationGCA CEO Peter Burks

The strongest performing category during August was catering, which increased by +9.15% when compared to August 2025. Furniture & BBQ sales were also strong, rising by +8.3%. Clothing sales were up +5.7% and food hall/farm shop sales grew by +5.3%.

Additional growth was seen in gifts, which increased by +3.87% and houseplants, up +3.77%. Pets & aquatics also remained positive, increasing by +0.37%.

Categories affected by the prolonged dry weather included outdoor plants, which fell by -10.63%, garden sundries, down -4.73%, seeds & bulbs, down -4.32%, hard landscaping, down -3.7%.

Regionally, the strongest growth was recorded in the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where sales increased by +6.76%. The East followed with growth of +4.04%, while Midlands, Wales and the West were up +3.35%. The South was the only region to record a decline, with sales down -3.76%.