Packaged Lawn and Garden Consumables to Reach $9 Billion in 2014

US demand for packaged lawn and garden consumables, which include fertilizers, pesticides, growing media, seeds, mulch, and other related products, is forecast to increase 2.4 percent per year to $9.0 billion in 2014.  The weak economy and food safety concerns have created a renewed interest in home gardening, a trend that will likely continue going forward, promoted by the introduction of new, easier to use gardening products.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Lawn & Garden Consumables, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

The large residential market will benefit from solid participation in home gardening activity, including lawn care and food gardening, as well as the recovering housing market.  The smaller nonresidential market will not fare as well due to a slowdown in the construction of nonresidential buildings, as well as a continuing weakness in the golf industry and reduced maintained turf acreage.

Growth will be led by seeds and growing media, both of which will post above-average gains through 2014.  Growing media is benefiting from the expanding consumer trend favoring value-added products such as premium soils.  Seed demand will benefit from accelerated use of grass seed as new home construction rebounds.  A renewed interest in food gardening will also provide opportunities for seeds.  Across all product segments, organic formulations will experience more favorable increases over conventional formulations.  Sales of organics will be spurred by substantial product improvements, a rising number of products, lower prices and more effective marketing, particularly as more leading lawn and garden consumables suppliers enter the market.

In contrast, sales will be slower for fertilizers and pesticides, which together made up over 70 percent of the market in 2009.  Value demand for these products will be limited as a result of a moderation in pricing after the highs of the 2004-2009 period.  Increasing concern over the environmental and health effects of chemical use will dampen prospects for these products in volume terms.  Attempts to control lawn maintenance costs will further depress gains.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.