Welcome to our latest expert Amazon analysis, this time providing all the deep-dive insights you need to put a rocket up your Garden and Outdoor sector sales and profits.

Garden Growth Game Strong

If you’re looking for an Amazon sector with high turnover and significant YOY sales growth (and who isn’t!), the Garden & Outdoor category is at the front of the queue.

Why? There are lots of factors contributing to this competitive sector’s strong performance, from pandemic lockdowns to cost-crisis-inspired DIY surges; the biophilic decor movement to social media trends.

But whatever the root cause, the figures don’t lie – a 60% year-over-year increase in sales growth in 2020 rose to 80% in 2021 according to Datahawk data while, as part of the overall DIY, Garden and Pets market, Statista figures predict annual CAGR growth of 8.22% to 2027.

The Shape of Garden and Outdoor on Amazon UK

As with so many other sectors, Amazon’s online dominance has put the marketplace in a strong position, the lure of Prime delivery and sheer choice proving compellingly convenient to many shoppers.

In fact, when it comes to Garden and Outdoor sales, Amazon UK enjoys a market share of around 30% and growing compared to competing e-comm retailers.

And it’s not just essential, everyday purchases like lawn treatments and bird feed that shoppers trust Amazon to deliver – it’s big ticket items too; from tools and lawnmowers to storage and furniture.

How about brand representation? 

You guessed it; our overall sales stats for Garden and Outdoors show heavy dominance from big UK and EU brands like Bosch, Hozelock and Karcher, their brand presence, robust Amazon stores and burly Amazon Ads strategies driving them into the lead.

But that in no way means there isn’t space, especially amongst certain subcategories*, for smaller brands and challengers to make their mark.

* Read on to discover which our experts have highlighted…

The truth is, this being another whopper of a category, there’s virtually endless product scope, plus niches galore.

By way of example, in the six summer/autumn months from May to October 2023:

  • A massive 784,734 different product types were sold;
  • Made up of 38.7 million individual units;
  • Generating total est. sales of £911.8 million.

And, for competing big brands, there will always be opportunities to steal a bit of that dominant thunder with some smart thinking and ingenuity.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into Garden and Outdoors….

Want our award-winning ingenuity on your side? Before you get in touch, click here to discover why we won the 2023 EMEA Challenger Award

Spotlight on Subcategories

As always, we asked our experts to analyse the data and choose the subcategories in the sector that are showing the most promise for profits and growth.

Based on overall market share and the enhanced profits offered by higher-priced garden items, they’ve highlighted:

  • Garden Tools
  • BBQs and Firepits
  • Outdoor Furniture
  • Garden Storage and Sheds

Garden Tools

Massive sales revenues on Amazon UK and whopping growth projected to 2030? The burgeoning DIY, urban gardening and landscaping markets make tools an exciting and dynamic sector for marketplace growth…

  • In 2022, Data Bridge Market Research estimated that the global gardening equipment market was worth £5.3 billion, and growing YOY with a CAGR of 10.1% to 2030.
  • On Amazon UK alone, sales of tools over our 6 month period (May-October 2023) stood at a massive £404.4 million.
  • Category leaders were (in order):
    • Makita
    • DEWALT
    • Bosch Home and Garden
    • Karcher
    • RYOBI
  • The top 10 listings earned average sales revenues of £9.13 million over the period, or £1.52 million p/m.
  • Even the lowest performers in the top 100 revenue earners made £470,000+ in that 6-month period – representing a market share of just 0.12%.

BBQs and Firepits

As new social trends see us cooking and socialising in our outdoor spaces more often, sales of BBQs and firepits – an outdoor necessity if you’re entertaining in the UK! – continue to boom over the summer months…

  • According to data compiled for the 27th National BBQ Week, the UK is the leading BBQ nation in Europe, hosting around 168 million BBQs to beat Germany into 2nd place.
  • The BBQ and outdoor eating and entertaining market was worth around £2.3 billion in 2022, up from £150 million in 1997.
  • 20% of all UK households now have two BBQs, with demand growing for US-style “smoker” grills, pizza ovens and plancha grills.
  • But hooded BBQs reign supreme, accounting for 60%+ of all BBQ sales (the UK weather can probably take the credit for that).
  • The global firepits market is expected to reach £9.1 billion by 2030, says Yahoo Finance.
  • During our 6-month analysis, sales of BBQs and firepits on Amazon UK generated £47.4 million in revenues.
  • Category leaders were (in order):
    • Weber
    • Ninja
    • Char-Broil
    • Cosmo Grill
    • Big K
  • The top 10 listings earned average sales revenues of £1.312 million over the period, or £218,787 p/m.
  • The lowest performers in the top 100 revenue earners made £82,000 in that 6-month period with a market share of just 0.17%.

Outdoor Furniture

A subcategory with untold subcategories within it, the outdoor furniture sector covers everything from dining furniture to décor – and let’s not forget the UK’s very necessary and specific summer shelter needs… 

  • Statista data shows that online sales within the UK’s outdoor furniture market are expected to generate £274.3 million in 2023, rising thereafter by a CAGR of 8.7% to £416.3 million in 2028.
  • Still surging on a tide of pandemic-triggered home improvements and entertaining, this is a sector poised for growth, with an increasingly wealthy millennial market who view their gardens as an extension of their living space.
  • Statista also points out that rising disposable income means people are more likely to spend more on premium outdoor furniture that will last, look good and feel luxurious.
  • According to Globaldata stats, Amazon was the most shopped-at retailer for dining furniture, lounging furniture, shelter and outdoor lighting.
  • During our 6-month analysis, sales of outdoor furniture on Amazon UK generated revenues in excess of £17 million.
  • Category leaders were (in order):
    • Enzeno
    • Outsunny
    • EVRE
    • Dokon
    • Keter
  • The top 10 listings earned average sales revenues of £693,026 over the period, or £115,504 p/m.
  • The lowest performers in the top 100 revenue earners made £22,483 in that 6-month period with a market share of just 0.13%.
  • There are few instantly recognisable brands within the top 100 listings, showing that there’s plenty of space within this subsector for lesser-known names and ranges to make a mark with a smart, holistic Amazon strategy.

Get in touch to plan your own smart, holistic Amazon strategy

Garden Storage and Sheds

Rising investment in outdoor living, cooking and socialising creates a knock-on opportunity for practical and space-saving storage solutions – compounded further by the necessity to protect all those costly garden purchases against the unpredictable UK weather…

  • What are the most sold garden storage items on Amazon UK? At the time of publication (November 2023), Keter are leading the way with their outdoor storage boxes providing durable, practical space over winter.
  • During our 6-month analysis, sales of garden storage and housing on Amazon UK generated revenues in excess of £18 million.
  • Category leaders were (in order):
    • Keter
    • Duramax
    • LIFETIME
    • Panana
    • Outsunny
  • Keter is by far the most dominant brand, with a massive 48% revenue share and £8.8 million in revenues over our 6-month analysis (May-October 2023).
  • However, despite Keter’s dominance, the figures show that there is still plenty of promise in this subcategory, with a sparsity of big brand names showing that there’s room for smaller businesses and challenger brands.
  • Excluding Keter, the next 10 listings earned average sales revenues of £516,586 over the period, or £86,098 p/m.
  • The brand in 50th place in our top 100 revenue earners generated revenues of £36,000 in that 6-month period with a market share of 0.2%.
  • The lowest performers in the top 100 revenue earners made £8,319 in that 6-month period with a market share of just 0.05%.

Insights and Opportunities in the Garden and Outdoor Category

So, applying the findings of our in-depth data and the insights of our expert team, what can we learn from the sector leaders that can help your brand in this dynamic and competitive sector?

We took a long, hard look at what they’re doing right (i.e. what your brand can replicate), and what they could be doing better (i.e. where your brand can gain a competitive advantage).

Here’s what we found.

Lessons from the Leaders

As with any big sector, the leaders here are household names benefitting from having a strong brand presence already, their consumer trust and market share long-established from other retail avenues, on and offline.

But there’s still plenty we can learn and apply from looking at the Amazon strategies of the best and brightest, so here are some lessons from the sector leaders.

The leading brand in the garden and outdoor sector, Makita boasts an extensive catalogue that maximises its visibility in branded search results – offering a clear advantage over its closest rivals. 

The brand is well-acknowledged within its niche and distinguishes itself with a substantial number of positive reviews – which is especially commendable given the accessible price points of its products.

But it’s the exemplary Amazon strategy of No2 brand Keter where we find the most takeaways for brands looking to build their marketplace edge.

Their team has cleverly tailored the brand’s eComm approach to suit Amazon’s very distinct requirements perfectly.

How?

Their whole strategy is finely attuned to price relevance and categorisation, leveraging the algorithm to enhance product discoverability and aligning with the search patterns of Amazon consumers to boost conversion rates.

A strongly defensive Amazon Ads strategy not only protects their own market share, but methodically appropriates share from their leading competitors.

And crucially, they’ve built out an Amazon-specific storefront that’s completely bespoke to the platform – not a mere duplication of the content they host elsewhere.

Read on for our expert tips for a Standout Storefront…

So where are the opportunities?

Don’t worry, there are lots!

Outside the biggest players, we found plenty of poor stores with lots of scope for improvement:

  • Many products that aren’t retail ready (which will impact longer term listing performance.
  • Brands losing space on their product detail page (PDP) to competitors, leading to reduced market share.
  • Brands with no A+ or Storefronts.
  • Products with no reviews.

For brands of all sizes looking to build their presence in this sector, we were really surprised to find that lots of the major brands are not sticking to a rigorous Amazon strategy.

Even Makita, leading the sector by virtue of their massive product offering, seem to lack a dedicated strategy for much of their product range.

With a very significant proportion of their sales conducted via distributors, the brand is at risk of inadvertently harming their own reputation – particularly through inconsistent pricing, but also possibly because of poor customer experience, confusing brand representation or supply chain issues of their sellers.

This oversight is a real missed opportunity, as the marketplace as a whole is replete with untapped potential.

The current landscape presents wide-open opportunities for other brands to thrive and outperform the competition – no matter how strong their position may seem.

Want to discover how we can help you outperform your Amazon competition? Get in touch

Who should be higher in the listings? (And why do we think they’re not?)

Speaking of household names who dominate, there are a couple of brands that we expected to see in a prominent position – and yet they’re just not there.

Stanley’s position in the marketplace, for example, was pretty unexpected, particularly when you consider their products’ pricing in relation to Amazon’s platform and its status as a widely recognized mass-market brand. 

Surprisingly, they seem to lack a coherent advertising strategy, suggesting a significant oversight in their marketing focus. 

Similarly, Black + Decker, a brand comparable to Stanley in reputation, doesn’t look to be fully capitalising on its advertising space to push their own products. 

Instead, they often display items from competing brands, letting others benefit from their established brand presence and associated search terms. 

The quality of content in their product listings really isn’t up to scratch – something which might  significantly impact their Amazon sales potential.

And this lack of Amazon focus is lethal in terms of their market share, allowing competitors to take advantage – getting in front of Black + Decker customers when they are shopping their listings and poaching potential sales.

Oversights like these are by no means restricted to these two major names either, presenting some key opportunities for both big brand competitors and challenger brands alike to take a bigger market share:

  • Opportunity 1 – take advantage of your competitor brands’ lack of advertising, and ride on the back of that with a powerful, cohesive Amazon Ads strategy.
  • Opportunity 2 – Increase market share by being competitive at price point.
  • Opportunity 3 – Adopt excellent listings to increase your brand’s presence.

Expert Tips for a Standout Storefront 

When it comes to creating solid, profitable growth on Amazon, we’re always amazed how many brands overlook the importance of having a good-looking and functional storefront.

So much thought is given to a brand’s retail presence elsewhere, from physical stores to its own website. 

Your brand’s Amazon Storefront should be no different.

Here are our expert team’s top 8 tips to create a standout Storefront:

  1. Strong Imagery

Successful storefronts often use high-quality images that showcase products in use, helping customers visualise the items in their own spaces.

  1. Powerful Video Content

Videos that demonstrate the product in action or offer instructional content can greatly enhance the user experience and provide valuable information to potential buyers.

  1. Wide Product Range

Offering a broad selection of products can cater to a diverse customer base and encourage more sales.

  1. Clear Brand Messaging

Effective storefronts have a clear and consistent brand message that resonates with their target audience.

  1. Customer Reviews and Ratings

Showcasing positive customer reviews and high ratings can build trust and credibility with new customers.

  1. Easy Navigation

A well-structured and easy-to-navigate storefront helps customers find what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently.

  1. Promotions and Deals

Highlighting current promotions, discounts, or bundle deals can entice visitors to make a purchase.

  1. Updated Content

Regularly updating the storefront with new arrivals, seasonal items, or featured products keeps the content fresh and engaging.

Suggested Selling Models

With so much scope in product type, size and weight, not to mention the operational and logistical capabilities of individual brands, this is truly a sector where it’s tough to pinpoint the “correct” selling model for your brand.

As always, it all comes down to what’s best for your profit margins – and that can change quickly for a number of reasons, from new product ranges to Amazon fee stack structures.

Our advice is to undertake regular unit economics modelling exercises to ensure that the selling model you’re using is the best for you right now, and for the immediate future.

By doing this, you’ll be able to stay agile and respond quickly to inefficiencies or cost issues within your supply chain, packaging, fulfilment or other operational processes, and keep to a model that pays the highest dividends for your brand – literally.

Learn more about maximising your Amazon profitability in our expert blog

Notes on Seasonality and Promotional Events

Any sector whose products relate to the outdoors is clearly going to see a strong seasonal shift through summer in the UK because, well, weather.

And this shift is especially marked for the higher-priced items that we’re highlighting here – these aren’t generally spur-of-the-moment purchases and, unless driven by necessity, shoppers are likely to wait for a bargain.

This means that Sellers and Vendors should look to make the most of promotional opportunities, particularly in the run up to the summer months – and it also means that it’s absolutely key to carefully consider and plan for Prime Day/s and promotional events like Black Friday – but we’re not saying you always have to discount!

Enlist our expert team to win with your Promotional Planning

Our Top Tips for Success in the Garden and Outdoor Category on Amazon UK

So how can you best position your brand to take advantage of the opportunities and potential outlined above?

Here are our top foundational tips for success in the Garden and Outdoor category.

1. Be retail ready- and have enough stock!

When it comes to your Amazon presence, MVP is never enough.

The quality of your listings will make or break your products in so many ways – from conversion rates to search placement, so it’s crucial to ensure they’re perfectly polished from the second you hit publish.

And don’t forget those reviews – they’re a huge part of retail readiness.

As a base starting point, aim for 15 reviews to be retail ready. 

To collect them, you can mix and match between using Amazon’s own Vine programme (our experts’ choice) to conducting off-platform promotions and giveaways on your other channels and in forums and groups, though please note that Amazon do prefer you to do this in-platform through Vine, so be cautious with your choices if you take things elsewhere.

And we can’t emphasise enough how important it is to have enough stock on hand to ensure you don’t end up with a dreaded “out of stock” tag – it really can affect your listing for months to come.

2. Know your competition inside out

This is one of the most competitive sectors on Amazon, and it’s ruled by some of the biggest household names around. 

Knowing your stuff upfront can help you pinpoint where there are niches to explore, gaps to plug and deficiencies you can improve on to your own brand’s advantage.

3. Optimise, optimise, optimise

Do it once, do it often – constant optimisation isn’t optional when it comes to Amazon success.

Work off this checklist on a regular basis to give your listings the best fighting chance:

  • Keyword research
  • Search terms
  • Copy – title, bullet point, descriptions
  • Robust content – images, infographics, videos, A+
  • Robust branding
  • Standout Storefront (see above for our expert advice)

4. Consistent Branding

Consistency really is key. 

If you have a presence elsewhere, whether that’s your own website, social media presence, store or anywhere else, that branding needs to flow through seamlessly, the instant recognition creating easy customer trust and confidence.

With the above in place, you’re ready to set your sights on real growth with strong Amazon Ads strategies and participation in key events from Prime Day to Black Friday!

Ready to succeed in the Garden and Outdoor Category on Amazon UK?

It’s one of the biggest and most competitive sectors on Amazon UK – but the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone!

From strategy to SEO, PPC to content and beyond, our full-service marketplace offering has everything you need to succeed in this dynamic sector.

Our team of time-served Amazon experts is on hand to explore all the opportunities and take the mystery out of marketplace for your brand.

Get in touch to discover how we can replace the “meh” with something altogether more magical – results, growth, performance and profit.