Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Last year, global retail gardening sales reached $88 billion, according to marketing research company Euromonitor International. And more than with one-third of those total sales in the United States.
As those numbers show, gardening is a popular hobby, and one look around the halls at spoga+gafa, the world’s largest lawn, garden and outdoor living trade fair, shows a variety of products and trends for consumers who are interested in gardening.
One hall at spoga+gafa is home to a full-size nursery, the Plant Park, which features greenery, flowers and other seasonal products. It’s the first time for the Plant Park, which offers attendees a chance to talk with exhibitors about different types of plants and even place orders.
As with outdoor living, a common trend in gardening is color—in anything from flowerpots to gardening tools.
“We’ve found our colored gardening tools to be appealing to female customers,” says Karl Zeller, vice president of international marketing and sales for Barnel International, whose booth featured gardening tools in a variety of colors.
“We originally created these products in different colors for contractors, so they could more easily keep track of whose is whose,” he says. “But we’ve found female consumers like the different colors, too.”
As with other home improvement categories, technology is changing the way things are done in the gardening field.
High-tech products, such as the wheelbarrow that has a small motor that makes it easier to carry loads up and down hills, or the flowerpot that contains an indicator keeping track of when a plant needs more water, are becoming more popular.
Along with high-tech products, customers want products of good quality, Zeller says. “People are tired of buying less expensive things that break. They’d rather spend more and get something higher-quality and more durable.”
Urban gardening continues to be popular, with city dwellers or consumers with limited outdoor living space using raised beds, garden walls and more.
“Raised bed canopies are perfect for anyone who just have a patio or only want a small garden,” says Robert Silinski, president of ShelterLogic. “They’re also good for those with bigger gardens who want to have a place to start plants.”
Spoga+gafa closes today. Next year’s show will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 in Cologne.
