May’s BoT shows another ‘healthy’ month
Our members have recorded another ‘healthy’ month in our May 2025 Barometer of Trade (BoT) with seven of the 13 categories listed performing positively when compared to the same month in 2024.
Figures out today (June 19, 2025) have revealed May’s top performer was gifts at +10.07%, followed by food hall/farm shop at +9.2% and garden sundries at +8.95%.
Strong growth
Peter, our CEO, explains: “We’ve seen another month of very healthy figures supporting the very significant rises we saw in March and April this year. Gifts, food halls/farm shops and garden sundries all showed very strong growth demonstrating that customers are shopping all areas even in the gardening season.
Decent spring
“May was the only decent spring month in 2024, without being great, which, with the decline in the weather this year, always suggested the figures were going to be less dramatic. However, our year-to-date variance is very positive at +9.49%.
“We now need some good steady weather for the next couple of months to cement those early gains and, so far, June has been very warm and sunny, which is great news.”
Performed well
Catering performed well in May when compared to the same month in 2024 at +6.9%, as did houseplants at +6.32% and pets & aquatics at +1.54%.
Outdoor plants came next in the May BoT and, when compared to last year, this category was up by +1.14%, followed by furniture and BBQs slightly down at -0.23%, then the miscellaneous category -1.44% and hard landscaping at -2.33%. Next was clothing at -4.36% and seeds & bulbs at -6.02%.