“Multiple storms earlier in the year are seeing sales of timber garden products soar”
2020 has already been witness to one surprising weather event: storms Ciara, Dennis, and Jorge all hit the UK in a single month (February). The destruction these events cause is never something to be taken lightly, but there is an upside for some of us – soaring sales of garden products.
According to a number of manufacturers, sales of fencing panels have risen sharply over the last month, showing a considerable gain over the comparable figure from March 2019. Customers are replacing fences, and purchases of other timber garden products are also rising. One manufacturer claims that a mild winter is to thank: people have used the season to get on with jobs in the garden and, spending more time out there, are looking to get it spruced for summer.
Another factor that’s stimulating sales is more general: Brexit. Great Britain’s divorce from the European Union has been barged out of the headlines by the coronavirus pandemic currently running rampant around the globe. But that doesn’t mean it has disappeared altogether. And consumers who were wary about making home purchases when the future was uncertain are showing more confidence now that we have officially left the bloc. One manufacturer described this as a “pent up demand” from the last quarter of 2019 that has now been released on to the market.
This development should be welcome news for all of us, coming when it does. While social distancing rules preclude us from carrying out non-essential work inside customers’ homes, gardens are a safe zone. This means there could be potential to replace at least some of your regular work with sales of outdoor products or services. For some companies, it might be enough to get them through a few tight months when they would have struggled otherwise.
At Quercus, we stock a wide variety of timbers that are perfect for outside projects. And while we have currently suspended all non-essential business operations, we are still able to price enquiries and take orders to be fulfilled when normal service resumes. Simply call us on 0845 50 50 311, or get in touch with us via the contact form on our contact page.