Latest Market Monitor now online
Bringing positive news from the Spring period ending December 2006, the latest Australian Garden Market Monitor is now online at www.ngia.com.au.
A number of factors combined to stimulate more gardening and sales in the first part of Spring. These factors included good weather, falling petrol prices, an ease in the media’s focus on drought water restrictions and the start of the Life is a Garden consumer marketing campaign.
Among the highlights for the second half of 2006 were:
- There was a 5.4% overall ($170m) increase on the 2005 spring period, which had increased 1.9% on spring 2004.
- All product category groups generated growth, with Greenlife 7.5%, Allied Garden 4.7%, Café & Gifts 6.6% and Services and Bulk 5.6%.
- While this was the strongest growth generated in the garden market since 2002, the value of these 2006 spring sales were still $ 68.9m lower than the spring sales of 2002.
- The internet is the new media and has rapidly passed print and magazines in term of readership and now advertising dollars.
- It is estimated that $180m was spent by city homeowners in 2006 on domestic water recycling infrastructure spurred on by direct financial incentives, new building regulations and the personal satisfaction of making a contribution to the environment.
“In the long term, expenditure on items such as watertanks will benefit the gardening industry as more homeowners secure new sources for watering,” said Monitor author, Martin Kneebone.
The Australian Garden Market Monitor report provides national statistics on the size of the industry, important growth areas and market trends. These reports are commissioned by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and NGIA and undertaken by RETAILworks.
