2023, declining market for garden machinery

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Geopolitics, inflation and climate change are affecting market performance, with all major product types declining.

Inflation and geopolitical tensions dampen sales of garden machinery and equipment in 2023, affected by a surplus of inventory and also by a lower propensity to purchase by end users and unfavorable weather conditions.

I industry trend data, provided by the statistical survey team Morgan and elaborated by the Comagarden builders’ association., which includes most of the manufacturers, indicate for the sector an overall contraction of 9 percent for a total of 1,333,000 units sold in 2023 (the previous year was 1,470,000).

The downturn affected the main types of products, see in particular chainsaws (-8% at 338,000 units), petrol-powered brushcutters (-16%, for 221,000 units) and lawnmowers (-17%, for 210,000 units), being more pronounced for snowplows (-58%), which are down sharply due to reduced snowfall, and pruners (-48%). Minus sign also for aerators, which retreat by -30%.

The only types of machines, among those surveyed by the Morgan Group, registering sales increases are bio-shredders and hedge trimmers, which filed 2023 with growth of -18 and 14 percentage points, respectively. Added to these is the figure for blowers (+11%) and robotic lawn mowers, which saw smaller increases (+3%).

For 2024, the garden machinery manufacturers’ association does not foresee significant reversals in the trend . However,” Comagarden points out, “an easing of international tensions and the resulting inflationary pressures, coupled with weather conditions that are more favorable to plant development, could be positively reflected in the sector’s performance.