Sales hit by weather

Sales in the German garden market have declined by 3.1 per cent overall in the last year to € 8.43 bn, according to the industry association Industrieverband Garten (IVG). In the garden requisites segment sales fell by 4.9 per cent to € 3.88 bn and were thus more strongly affected than plants, which experienced a decline of 1.5 per cent to € 4.55 bn. In the biggest single segment, pot plants, bedding and balcony plants, sales were down by 2.9 per cent to € 3.3 bn. Only two segments escaped unscathed: the volume of garden furniture sales was maintained at € 1.25 bn, while sales of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs increased by 5.0 per cent.