According to GfK's latest report on the UK retail durable sectors, the DIY/gardening sector suffered particularly in March, compared with the same month last year, as less favourable weather caused declines in many of the gardening product categories.
The best-performing sector in terms of month on month percentage value change was the small domestic appliances sector, which was up 8%. Vacuum cleaners were the main driver, followed by dental care and food preparation devices.

Meanwhile, DIY/gardening was down 8% in March 2015, although consumer electronics was the worst-performing sector in terms of month on month percentage value change at -11%.

Year-on-year, DIY's growth in total market value is up 1%, although year-to-date and quarter on quarter, this figure is down 4%.

The DIY/gardening sector did, however, see online growth during March compared with the same month last year, with sales via the internet up 13% as opposed to offline sales, which dipped 9%.

Chain stores in the DIY/gardening sector saw a 9% month-on-month percentage decline in value during March, while independent businesses also saw a negative growth in value at -13% for the period.

DIY/gardening currently represents 30% of the UK retail durable sector, which has a total market value of £36.1bn.

A more weather-sensitive category than any of the others in the retail durables sector, DIY and gardening's growth may be down on last March, which was recorded as +26% but it is still leaps and bound ahead of March 2013, which recorded a growth of -22.5%, and there is still time for the sector to pick up, as the sunny weather seen in April continues.