In the month of July there has been a dramatic drop in enquires with half of our respondents claiming to have seen a decrease. A fall in enquires isn’t unheard of; it typically happens around this time of year. However, with the current cost-of-living crisis and an expensive winter expected ahead, could this decrease be something more than the usual post-summer slump?

There is always the possibility that people simply cannot afford to have any work carried out on their gardens at the moment, which could explain the 66.6% decrease in enquires this month from the domestic landscaping and garden design industries. One respondent said that there is, “general caution”. They are “expecting markets and confidence to sway” and predict that “maybe wealthy clients [will] delay projects one year unless the bail out plans kerb inflation.”

However, with this in mind, only 10% of respondents reported a decrease in projects. With projects holding steady, perhaps the future will not be so bleak in the coming months.

To read the full report click here: UK Barometer Report July 2022