Garden care is an important core garden category in all garden centres. The widest selection of brands tend to be the domain of the box stores. Lack of shelf space, especially for smaller stores has meant independent garden centres rationalising their offer to best sellers or to those where they enjoy a competitive advantage.

There’s been a lot of change in the category, especially around the use of chemicals for controlling pests and disease. Several of the more well-known have been pulled from shelves because their active ingredients have been considered harmful.

• Wider recognition of the benefits of gardening for health and well-being; the increased popularity of indoor gardens and the garden as an extension of the home. 
• Greater concern for wildlife, especially the protection of our bee and bird populations. Interest groups and digital platforms are stimulating greater interest in our environment and the impact we humans have on our planet
• The rise of customers seeking a more sustainably and eco-friendly way to garden. Increasingly they want to know they are engaging in safe practices using products that are safe to use. Even those who prefer “do it for me” want information about what, why and how; - to be confident their homes and families are surrounded by safe, eco-friendly environments.

• Garden Care is seen as the “business side” of gardening. It’s a functional, product led category with limited emotional cues. There’s more emphasis on ‘what’ and less on ‘why’; more emphasis on ‘the substance’ and less on ‘the good life’
• It’s a highly fragmented category with many brands and duplicate use products.
• Our product shelves and displays can be confusing and disjointed. Retailers feel the need to cover all bases and all individual customer requirements rather than offering clarity though merchandising and communicating the reasons, advantages and benefits of buying a selected range