Latest garden centre results show impact of 1st lockdown
Here is a summary from some of the most recent company results published on Gardenforum. The y/e date refers to the year end. Pbt refers to profit before tax, but after interest and other charges. Figures written as £123k mean £123,000. We make little attempt to explain the results.
All the results published cover the period of the first lockdown which disrupted the key spring sales period in 2020. While the impact on sales varied between companies, most retailers benefitted from Government support and this shows in their pbt figures.
Garden Centres
- The year to (y/e) Jan 2021 was good for Alton Garden Centre sales increased +14% to £9.6m and profit before tax (pbt) nearly trebled to £1.0m.
- Sales fell -15% to £6.6m at Aylett Nurseries (y/e Oct 2020). However, pbt improved to £507k.
- Berwick-upon-Tweed Garden Centre maintained sales at £7.1m, but improved pbt sharply to £1.2m for y/e Nov 2020.
- Sales fell -9% at Chessington Nurseries to £9.3m for y/e Dec 2020. However, pbt improved slightly to £225k.
- Sales rose +25% at Cooling’s Nurseries to £9.1m. Pbt also improved sharply to £1.3m for y/e Jan 2021. In August 2019, Coolings bought Wych Cross Garden Centre from Wyevale.
- Sales fell sharply at Goredale Nurseries from £12.2m to £8.9m for y/e Sep 2020. Pbt improved to £1.8m.
- Longacres Garden Centre (y/e Dec 2020) grew revenues +4% to £41.8m with pbt edging higher to £2.7m.
- Sales at Otter Nurseries remained level with the previous year at £25.7m for y/e Dec 2020. Pbt however improved strongly to £3.5m.
- Planters Garden Centre revenues edged higher to £5.9m for y/e Dec 2020, while pbt doubled to £314k.
- Sales fell -22% at Poplars Nursery Garden Centre for y/e Jan 2021 to £4.0m due to Covid-19. However, pbt remained static at £716k because the loss of gross profit was mitigated by rates relief and the Governments CJRS grants.
- Revenue jumped +51% to £45.0m at garden furniture retailer R E Dawson (y/e Sep 2020). Pbt leapt to £5.1m.
- Revenues at The Barton Grange Group fell -36% to £17.9m for y/e Jan 2021. Pbt at the garden centre, nursery, landscape and Flower Bowl leisure group fell to £1.2m.
- Sales plummeted -23% to £5.8m at The Millbrook Garden Company for y/e Jan 2021. Pbt improved to £362k. The accounts report that this was an extremely difficult year. ‘Sales were down on previous years due to the garden centres being completely closed in the first lockdown from the end of March to mid-May. Since reopening… gardening sales were excellent despite catering being closed for much of the year. No Christmas events were run and the centres were closed again in January due to the flare up in the Covid Kent variant’.
- Sales surged +25% to £19.4m at Thompson Bros. (Esher) that operates Garsons garden centre and farm shop for y/e Mar 2021. Pbt jumped 6-fold to £2.4m.
- For y/e Dec 2020 sales jumped +26% to £62m at Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centres, that trade as the Northern half of British Garden Centres. Pbt rose +173% to £5.2m. This year represents the first full year trading since the Wyevale acquisitions in 2019. Despite the challenges faced in integrating the new centres against the backdrop of COVID-19, the directors report a very good year of trading.
- Online garden retailer You Garden for y/e Dec 2020 published full accounts for the first time. Revenue was £37.4m and net profit £6.6m. Last April The Times speculated the company might be sold for £200m.
Suppliers
- Turnover of Andreas Stihl rose +17% to £124.9m for y/e Dec 2029 with pbt improving by +80% to £11.0m.
- Sales grew +24% at Apollo Gardening y/e Sept 2020 to £15m, profits at £43k failed to improve.
- Ball Colegrave (y/e Sep 2020) experienced a -16% fall in sales to £24.2m, pbt fell sharply from £2.3m last year to £185,000.
- Sales stayed level at Barlow Tyrie (Sep 2020) at £6.3m although pbt improved to £348k
- Sales were also level at £290m for BDP Imports, trading as Bramblecrest. Pbt improved to £3.3m for y/e Nov 2020.
- Turnover and profit continue to fall at David Austin Roses. For y/e Jul 2020 sales were £11.8m, down -14% on last year and almost half the level 2 years ago. Pbt was £1.9m, down from £3.6m last year and £5.4m two years ago.
- After rapid growth in 2019, sales fell back slightly to £38.8m for DLF Seeds (y/e Jun 2020). Pbt also fell to £3.7m.
- Sales fell -9% at P. Barrus to £61.1m for y/e Sep 2020. Its brands include, Wolf Garten, Wilkinson Sword, Town & Country and Lawnflight. Pbt edged higher to £1.2m.
- Revenues rose sharply to £19.3m at G.J.Handy (Trading), the garden machinery distributor. Pbt recovered to £618,000 for y/e Nov 2020.
- Newey sales dropped -11% for y/e Dec 2020 to £26.3m, but the nursery group recovered from a loss of £-481k last year to a pbt of £343k. The accounts state that during the first 2020 lockdown it was unable to produce a large amount of its summer product so sales dropped. But due to very low wastage and reductions in overhead expenditure operating profits increased.
- Sales fell -22% to £21.8m at Pelsis, world leading supplier of pest control products. However, pbt rose sharply to £2.2m for y/e Dec 2020.
- Sales almost doubled at Rowlinson Garden Products to £26.6m. Pbt leapt to £2.7m for y/e Dec 2020. The company accounts report that ‘demand for garden products has been extraordinarily strong, helped during the lockdowns by our ability to deliver direct to the end user. This has resulted in supply shortages across all areas, causing sharp price rises (particularly in timber products) but margins also improved’.
- The rapid growth continues at Smart Garden Products. In the 11 months ending November 2020 sales increased by 18% to £66.3m, having grown 39% the year before. Pbt doubled to £9.9m.
- Spear & Jackson (UK) increased revenues by +11% to £16.7m for y/e Sep 2020. Pbt lifted slightly to £216k.
- Synchemicals, the parent company for Vitax, Slug Gone and 6x fertiliser, grew marginally to £24.2m in y/e Aug 2020. Pbt improved to £2.5m.
- There was a sharp increase in borrowing at Weber-Stephen Products (UK) to £52m in y/e Sep 2020. Sales increased +14% to £314m and pbt almost doubled to £7.9m.
- Woodlodge Products lifted sales by +12% to £27.1m for y/e Jun 2020. Pbt grew strongly to £3.7m.
About Company Results
The Company Results pages on Gardenforum show turnover, pbt, interest paid, fixed assets, net current assets, total borrowings and shareholder funds for almost 2000 companies involved with the garden sector. They are free to Gardenforum members.
Click here to see the full list of this month’s updated companies. (Gardenforum members only)
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