Spring has sprung, and soon it will be time to give your yard a facelift. Time to cut the grass, load up on topsoil and get the garden ready for flowers, plants, vegetables and fruits. Soon it will be warm enough to clean and fill the pool, or get one installed if you want one. Time to buy those supplies!
In the second quarter (April to June) of 2022, there were nearly $3.4 billion in retail sales of home lawn and garden equipment and supplies, up from nearly $3.3 billion in the same quarter a year earlier and from over $2.8 billion in the second quarter of 2020.
In the current data series, which started in 2012, sales in this category have been the highest in the second quarter every year, reflecting the seasonality of the items.
Live plants, seeds, and other home and garden supplies (except agricultural fertilizers and pesticides) accounted for nearly 70% of sales in the second quarter of 2022. This category also includes other supplies, such as plant bulbs, shrubs, sod, lawn ornaments, bushes and composters.
Also on that list are barbecues and accessories, propane tanks, outdoor specialty lighting and pool chemicals. Canadians like to make the most of outdoor gatherings during our short summers!
The other 30% of sales consisted mainly of items such as garden tools, grass and leaf mulchers, lawnmowers, hoses, wheelbarrows, rakes, planters and urns, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers and chainsaws.
Retailers also sold over $1.2 billion worth of outdoor home furniture in the second quarter of 2022, up from over $981.2 million in the same quarter a year earlier and from over $812.6 million in the second quarter of 2020. This category includes patio tables, umbrellas, hammocks and garden furniture. Sales in this category have also always been highest in the second quarter.
Want a new walkway, shed or fence, or need to do some repairs? There were over $6.6 billion in sales of lumber and other renovation materials and supplies in the second quarter of 2022, down from a record of nearly $7.1 billion in the second quarter of 2021. This category includes building bricks, concrete and decking.
Sales have mostly been highest in the second quarter but are more spread out among all quarters, as this broader category also includes items for indoor projects, such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, stairs and door frames.
More stores
In December 2022, there were 12,187 building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers across the country. They also sell outdoor power equipment, nursery and garden products, and several other related products.
This was up from 11,785 locations in June 2022 and from 11,745 in December 2021. In December 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic’s full effects were only partially known—for example, whether some businesses would close temporarily or permanently—that number stood at 12,025 locations. The last pre-pandemic count was 12,341 locations in December 2019.
Pandemic effects
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were deemed essential during the pandemic. Despite the availability of in-store shopping, a Statistics Canada analysis found that retail e-commerce sales in this subsector experienced large increases, peaking in the first quarter of 2021.
Higher sales were bolstered by increased demand by Canadians looking to invest in their homes and by price pressures on commonly purchased products. The analysis further showed a steep decline in e-commerce sales for the remainder of 2021, followed by an uptick at the start of 2022.
At the onset of the pandemic, early in 2020, when travel and gathering restrictions were put in place, more Canadians chose to get a pool installed in their own backyard. In the second quarter of 2020, 9,253 permits for inground swimming pools for residential construction were issued nationwide.
Increased demand continued into the following spring, when a record 11,168 permits were issued in the second quarter of 2021. In the same quarter a year later, 7,903 permits were issued.
The number of permits issued has always been highest in the second quarter, when construction typically begins. The pre-pandemic high was 6,692 permits, issued in the second quarter of 2019.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).