The gardening market - France

For several centuries now, gardening has played an increasingly important role in French people's lives. Gardening is the practice of sowing, planting and preserving plants and vegetables within a dedicated terrestrial space in a home. Gardening is a hobby practised mainly by individuals and non-profit organizations. Non-professional gardening is to be distinguished from market gardening, horticulture, arboriculture and floriculture, which are more professional activities. From the Middle Ages onwards, gardens were primarily utilitarian and intended for food production, but it was really from the Renaissance onwards and with the French gardens that this activity became a real art of living. Over time, gardening has become progressively more democratic, and today we can segment the market into several product families: plants, outdoor furniture, traditional and mechanical tools, fertilizers, vehicles... What's more, according to INSEE, by 2021, almost 54% of French households will have a private garden or green space. In both rural and urban areas, balconies and terraces are being transformed into green spaces, making gardening a rapidly expanding practice. Gardening boomed during the Covid period, with peoplestepping up their gardening activities during the period of confinement. This trend translated into increased sales and turnover in the gardening market. By 2024, nearly 20 million households- almosta third of the French population - will be buying plants for their gardens and homes every year. The gardening market continues to be dominated by a number of major players operating on a franchise basis (specialist gardening and DIY stores) and by mass retailers. The main specialist chains in France are Jardiland, Truffaut and GammVert. In addition, one of the major trends in the gardening market is the emergence of a more eco-responsible demand for organic, pesticide-free products, as well as urban vegetable gardens that enable people to grow their own produce at home, even if they don't have a lot of space. The major players are also investing in innovative products, while diversifying their distribution channels through e-commerce, as well as offering after-sales services with the development of virtual advice tools to guide amateur gardeners. This rather positive outlook is underpinned by exogenous factors such as an ageing population, the boom in second homes with gardens, etc.