Garden storage products have proved to be star performers this year within the overall garden structures category - which is itself delivering respectable sales.
Latest research from GfK into the garden structures market - which covers sheds, storage, summerhouses, playhouses, arbours, gazebos and open-sided structures - reveals that between January and May its value rose by 2.3%.

The year got off to a challenging start, with March alone showing a 25.9% decline in the value of sales. However, May then saw exceptional value growth of 22.8%.

The key driver this year has been garden storage, which posted 67.7% value growth in the year to and including May. But arbours are also worth mentioning, showing a 17% hike in value.

Looking towards the wider outdoor living market, GfK says barbecues have shown positive signs, the category reporting 7.7% value growth in April and a marginal rise of 0.5% in May. Garden solar lamps have also seen an uplift as the season progresses, with sales more than trebling between March and May, and over 800,000 units selling in May alone.

Richard Maden, GfK account manager, commented: "Despite a difficult start to the season, the wider garden categories posted an improved performance. Every garden category tracked by GfK except for pest and disease achieved value growth in May 2013, helping to offset the significant declines seen earlier in the year."

He added that the advent of sunnier weather should bring still more positive figures for the garden categories.