Lawn & Garden Products and Services - US - July 2007

Abstract

This report focuses on lawn and garden products and services, and consumer attitudes toward lawn and garden products. Using our unique consumer survey and Simmons data, Mintel developed a profile of three types of gardeners:

• Hobbyists
• Enthusiasts
• Eco-gardeners

Using these categories, we are able to give an acute sense of how different lawn and garden consumers show distinct purchasing patterns for gardening products and services, and which consumers place the greatest value on their gardens for a range of activities and functions.

In addition to our consumer analysis, we provide actionable insights on the lawn and garden market. A number of factors are reshaping the market, including:

• Home sales and home-ownership trends
• Outdoor living trends
• Growing interest in green and environmentally friendly products and practices
• Health benefits of gardening
• The weather

The market includes services such as lawn-care and landscaping products such as green goods, chemicals, soil, fertilizers, tools, and accessories. Given this diversity, the supply structure is highly fragmented. Larger companies tend to sell tools, fertilizers and chemical products, while smaller, privately owned local nurseries supply the majority of green goods.

Home centers have become the dominant retail channel for lawn and garden products, expanding their reach at the expense of smaller nurseries. Mass merchandisers, hardware stores and independently owned nurseries comprise other significant retail channels.

Finally, we take a look at the most salient future trends, including the short-term impact of the slumping housing market, the effect of demographic changes through 2012 and the growth of environmentally friendly products.

• Green goods
• Chemicals
• Hand tools
• Soils and fertilizers
• Accessories
• Professional garden and lawn services