The HTA has reported that garden centre sales have grown for five consecutive months and that year-to-date sales figures are above the 2012 levels.
Sales in July this year were up 25% on July last year and sales in August were up 13% on August 2012, according to the HTA Garden Retail Monitor. Year-to-date sales (to the end of August) were up 5% on this time last year, but this is behind the same point for 2011.

In its Market Update, the HTA said "the frosty start to the year certainly delayed garden centre sales, but recent months have seen a sudden catch up in sales."

It also reported that consumer confidence has risen over the last five months and it is now at its highest figure since November 2007. Similarly, retailers appear to feel more confident about the economy, too, with strong end-of-summer sales helping the cause; this suggests the industry may be entering the Christmas period and the build up to the 2014 season on a more positive footing than a year ago.

This month's issue of Market Update looks at the garden maintenance services offered by garden centres, with research results on who uses these types of services, their ages and attitudes towards them, and the average expenditure on them. Its focus group findings indicated that there were mixed views about garden centres offering maintenance services and they were "perceived as likely to be more expensive than local people specialising in garden maintenance or care."

The full HTA Market Update report can be read here, or try the HTA website. The HTA Garden Futures Conference, which will look at the market, retailers' offerings and multi-channel shopping, is taking place on October 17.