SPECIAL REPORT — Following the imperative to “Stay at Home”, homeowners are flocking to garden equipment and supplies lines, not just for decorative flora but also for food. Michael Allen, general manager of two RONA stores outside Vancouver, has seen an upsurge in people prioritizing space for a vegetable garden, even taking out landscaping like hedges or cedars to make space for garden growth. “I think it’s a lifestyle decision that people are making,” he says.” “They want to be able to pick their own spinach and make that salad out of their own garden.”
“The veggie garden is a big focus for the customer,” Johan Dumay, BMR Group’s purchasing director, affirms. “It was a good category before, but this year it’s amazing.”
(Full story in the upcoming issue of Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly magazine. Subscriptions are free for retailers. Start yours today!)
