The online garden products market is growing at twice the rate of the garden products market as a whole, and growth will strengthen further over the next four years.
That is the conclusion of a new report from MTW Research, which says that internet sales of garden products have risen by 45% since 2009 and which forecasts that they will grow 30% to be worth more than £3bn by 2019.

Online sales are also gaining share at the higher value end as specialist online garden retailers develop.

According to the report, barbecues, garden furniture and garden leisure products in particular are exhibiting rapid growth online this year. Web sales of garden landscaping and higher value horticultural products are also performing well, with garden tools and equipment growing by 50%.

MTW examined the reasons for this growth and found consumer purchasing behaviour changing significantly, alongside an explosion in online advertising by garden product manufacturers and retailers.

"Total advertising on all garden products has increased by 30% since 2009, whilst online advertising of garden products has risen by 80% over the same period," said MTW director Mark Waddy.

"Increasingly sophisticated online marketing strategies incorporating banners, embeds, paid for search and social media are generating returns on investment in excess of 220%."

By 2019, online spend is forecast to rise by some 140%.

The report says the boost in sales generated by online advertising presents a stark comparison with the offline market, suggesting that a fundamental shift in the garden products market is clearly underway.

Women and 50-plus age groups are becoming increasingly significant in terms of buying garden products on the internet, says MTW, adding that these trends are supporting growth in the higher value, higher quality sectors of the market, rather than the lower end which many online retailers have traditionally targeted.

Online retailers offering higher quality products and enhanced levels of service, advice and support are also quickly gaining share of the market according to MTW.