There are changes afoot in the macro-economic and socio-demographic sphere in Western Europe, which are shaping the face of the traditional home improvement and gardening consumer in this region. How does the rise of 'generation rent' or the size of the average home in the industry's largest markets impact sales? And what is happening to the retail space to adapt to the demands of the new 'millennials'? Countries within Western Europe are currently facing profound changes to key consumer factors, which influence home improvement and gardening sales, not only in terms of the consumer's ability and need to buy or store products but also how they make their purchases. The individual countries of the Western European region have largely been marked by the aftermath of the 2008-09 banking crisis and various austerity measures which have seen significant growth in youth unemployment as well as a polarization in disposable income between the top and bottom ends - squeezing the so-called middle classes who are the main consumers of home improvement and gardening products.
By the same token, countries such as the UK have seen a shift in important indicators such as home ownership, with soaring property prices resulting in a marked decrease in the proportion of home owners and an attendant increase in the proportion of those renting. The result of this is not only a decrease in the proportion of disposable income a vast strata of consumers can spend on items other than immediate living costs (the average cost of renting a…