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UK Pond
Equipment Market 2007 -2013
(£m MSP)
Water gardening has increased in popularity over the last decade
fuelled by gardening makeover programmes on television, large
garden shows featuring water gardens, rising disposable incomes and
low inflation. The more recent trends suggest that the growth in
popularity of water gardening is waning, with 2007 and 2008
performance more negative.
The
pond equipment sector was valued at an estimated £37m at Manufacturers’
Selling Prices in 2008, a decline of 5% on the level reached in 2007.
Trends in market size and forecast growth rates are illustrated in the
chart, left.
The
largest sector of the pond equipment market consists of ponds, including
liners and pre-formed ponds, which account for an estimated 26% of the
market, compared with pumps with 22% of the market, pond accessories,
including fish food and pond treatments, with 23% and filtration systems
with 18% of the market. Water features make up the balance of the market.
In the
ponds sector, liners and underlay hold the dominant share, accounting for
over half the market, whilst pre-formed ponds and watercourses have an
estimated share of 42%. The pumps market has seen some growth in middle
range pumps (1000-3999 litres per hour), at the expense of smaller pumps
(flow rates up to 999 litres per hour), as the price differential between
these two groups has lowered. The pumps market has performed marginally
better than the market average, since this sector is not wholly reliant
on new pond construction, but benefits from any upgrading or
refurbishment by existing pond owners and sales of self-contained water
features.
Most of
the leading suppliers in the pond equipment market are either specialists
in the pond sector, or part of larger groups with wider interests in the
garden market. The market is also characterised by a high level of
imports in some sectors from Europe and the Far East.
Specialist aquatic/water garden centres continue to dominate the
distribution of pond equipment with an estimated 48% share. Garden
centres are also leading outlets, but many of these sell pond equipment
through concessions run by specialist aquatic operations.
It is
estimated that approximately 7-8% of UK homes currently have some form of
water feature, although the majority are relatively small and
inexpensive. The potential for pond equipment sales appears significant,
with over 80% of homes in the UK owning a garden, however, many of these
gardens are very small or unsuitable for ponds. Nevertheless, there is
still a substantial opportunity for market growth in product areas, such
as self-contained water features and pebble pools.
Despite
the above potential, future prospects for the pond equipment market
remain very uncertain, after poor performances in both 2007 and 2008. The
decline in 2007 was caused mainly by the poor weather, but more
worryingly the decline in 2008 was largely due to the deteriorating
economic conditions caused by the crisis in the financial markets, allied
to poor weather. These economic conditions are not expected to improve
before mid 2010 or possibly later than that. |
