Whether it’s in France, Italy, the United Kingdom or Holland, a combination of more leisure time, an enthusiasm to go green and a willingness to eat organic food, has driven the city-dwellers to head for the garden centres in droves. Over the last ten years, the trend shows no sign of abating, which is good news for those involved in the industry.
Whether it’s in France, Italy, the United Kingdom or Holland, a combination of more leisure time, an enthusiasm to go green and a willingness to eat organic food, has driven the city-dwellers to head for the garden centres in droves. Over the last ten years, the trend shows no sign of abating, which is good news for those involved in the industry.
The Europeans start working in the garden when the warmer weather approaches and it only needs a rainy April to disrupt the market. The impact of climate change meant that the weather in 2015 was favourable and there were record sales throughout much of the summer.
On the other hand, the firms involved in the landscaping sector were not so fortunate and the end of 2015 was tough, with the public and private sector markets being the most affected. Only the market for residential customers has been able to keep its head above water, showing increased activity towards the end of 2015, once again on account of the fine weather and renewed interest in growing vegetables. It is, however, interesting to note that the recommendations of the COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris, which placed an emphasis on the importance of having green spaces in the cities to combat pollution, have not been followed up by the municipalities or social landlords.
We all hope that 2016 will allow the companies involved in the landscaping sector to see things improve in the future.