LONDON: The UK DIY and gardening market is forecast to fall by 0.1% this year as consumers reel from subdued wage growth, higher taxes and increased living costs according to Verdict Research.
LONDON: The UK DIY and gardening market is forecast to fall by 0.1% this year as consumers reel from subdued wage growth, higher taxes and increased living costs according to Verdict Research.
It latest report into the sector, "UK DIY & gardening Retailers 2011" examines developments in the sector reporting on B&Q, Homebase, Wickes, Focus, The Garden Centre Group, Dobbies, builders' merchants, small DIY specialists, and independent garden centres.
The collapse of the DIY & gardening sector that began in 2005, entirely due to the DIY sub sector, continued in 2010 with a fall estimated at 0.8% to 12.6bn. This report forecasts that the market will remain in negative territory in 2011.
It says that DIY is falling out of fashion and will deteriorate further with a decline of 0.9% in 2011. Gardening, the sector's saving grace with growth of 1.7% in 2011, is benefiting from the rise in popularity of gardening among a booming older population, and an increasingly warm climate.
In DIY, specialists are facing more competition, forcing them to diversify into new categories, exposing them to new rivals, especially in kitchens & bathrooms. In gardening, specialists are coming under huge pressure as more retailers look to capitalise on the growth potential available, changing the competitive dynamics of the market.
