Nurseries, Garden Centers & Farm Supply

The 9,400 nurseries, garden centers, and farm supply stores in the US sell lawn and garden products and farm supplies. Major product categories include grain and animal feed; fertilizer, lime, chemicals, and other soil treatments; outdoor nursery stock; pet supplies; and hardware, tools, and plumbing and electrical supplies. Companies may also sell fuel (oil, LP gas, wood, charcoal), automotive products and supplies, lawn and garden tools, and indoor plants. Services include equipment rental and repair and consulting services (landscape design, agronomy). Companies may offer delivery services for large orders (fertilizer, sod, dirt).

Competition from Alternative Sources

Nurseries, garden centers, and farm supply stores compete with a variety of alternative retailers, including home improvement and hardware stores and general merchandise retailers.

Highly Seasonal Sales

Sales for farm supply retailers are highly seasonal, with peaks during the spring and fall to support crop schedules.

Jul 24, 2026 - Garden Industry Pressures Reflected in Tractor Supply Results

• Tractor Supply's weaker second-quarter results reflect the mixed conditions facing the US garden center industry, where consumer spending has supported modest sales growth but weather disruptions and cautious discretionary spending continue to weigh on demand, according to a Retail Dive report. Comparable sales fell 1.5% as drought conditions reduced purchases of lawn care and other outdoor products, prompting the retailer to lower its full-year outlook, slow store expansion, and close underperforming Petsense locations. The results contrast with the broader retail market, where the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor reported a ninth consecutive month of sales growth in June, although building and garden supply stores increased just 0.06% month over month and 4.04% year over year, trailing overall retail growth. Together, the reports suggest garden centers continue to benefit from stable consumer spending but face ongoing pressure from unfavorable weather, selective discretionary purchases, and heightened competition, making value, merchandising, and seasonal execution increasingly important.
• Building and garden supply stores posted modest gains in June, underperforming the broader retail market despite the industry's ninth consecutive month of overall sales growth. According to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, building and garden supply sales edged up just 0.06% month over month and 4.04% year over year, well below total retail sales growth of 0.33% and 9.41%, respectively. Core retail sales also outpaced the category, rising 0.36% month over month and 10.08% year over year. While the results indicate consumers continued spending on home and outdoor projects during the peak summer season, demand for building materials and gardening products remained relatively subdued compared with faster-growing categories such as sporting goods, electronics, and apparel, suggesting homeowners remained selective with discretionary home improvement purchases.
• Garden centers are seeing increased competition from Tractor Supply’s aggressive expansion into garden centers, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. By converting existing outdoor space into 3,000–4,000 square foot garden centers, Tractor Supply aims to grow installations from about 500 stores today to two-thirds of its 2,200+ locations within a few years. The strategy is designed to capture more spending on plants, landscaping, seasonal décor, and gardening supplies, especially in rural markets underserved by Home Depot or Lowe’s. The company reports remodeled stores with garden centers generate high-single-digit sales gains, suggesting strong consumer demand. Independent garden centers and regional farm supply retailers may face pressure on customer traffic, plant sales, and seasonal merchandise as Tractor Supply broadens assortments and attracts both traditional rural shoppers and newer suburban hobby-farm consumers.
• Gardening trends in 2026, such as smart irrigation systems that reduce water use by 30%–50%, are reshaping demand for US nurseries, farm supply stores, and garden centers, according to an AOL report. Consumers are increasingly adopting higher-value, tech-enabled solutions that improve plant health while lowering maintenance costs. At the same time, demand is shifting toward low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants like native species, earth-kind roses, and geraniums, supporting more resilient and sustainable product mixes. Trends such as plant propagation and community “propagation parties” may slightly reduce repeat plant purchases but boost customer engagement. Meanwhile, the rise of experiential, wellness-focused outdoor spaces is likely to drive incremental sales of premium plants and landscaping materials. Overall, the industry is moving toward higher-margin, sustainability-driven offerings, requiring retailers to align inventory with efficiency, durability, and lifestyle-focused gardening preferences.

Industry size & Structure

The average nursery, garden center, or farm supply retailer operates out of a single location, employs 17 workers, and generates $5.4 million annually.

• The nursery, garden center, and farm supply retailing industry consists of about 9,400 companies operating 13,400 stores that employ about 154,900 workers and generate about $50.2 billion annually.
• The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 firms account for about 47% of industry sales.
• Tractor Supply is the largest farm supply retailer in the US with over 2,200 stores. Large nursery and garden centers, such as Armstrong Garden Centers and Stein Garden Centers, have multiple locations but typically operate in one or two states. Most companies are small, independent operations.