According to recent statistics, a third of homeowners improve their garden every year by landscaping, adding fencing, or decking*, thus providing merchants with the perfect opportunity to increase sales.

British gardeners will spend an average of £30,000 on their gardens over their lifetime, with hard landscaping, including decking, accounting for a whopping £9,000 of consumers’ garden spend.

On top of this, homeowners look to renew patios and decking an average of six times during their adult years**, providing a fantastic opportunity for trade professionals to promote their services, thus placing merchants in the ideal position to benefit.

There is a common misconception that installing decking is a time consuming and difficult task, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In some cases, decking can be installed in a day, making it a quick win for installers, and therefore merchants.

By stocking the right mix of balustrades, merchants can meet the needs of the growing number of trade professionals looking to purchase outdoor decking. What’s more, by giving balustrades extra prominence in branch, and giving merchandising that extra bit of thought, merchants can sit back and watch sales soar this summer.

*Nationwide

**GardeningExpress.co.uk

Josh Burbidge is commercial director at Richard Burbidge.