Nurseries, Garden Centers & Farm Supply
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
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.
Industry size & Structure
The average nursery, garden center, or farm supply retailer operates out of a single location, employs 16 workers, and generates $3-4 million annually.
- The nursery, garden center, and farm supply retailing industry consists of about 9,400 companies operating 13,400 stores that employ about 157,000 workers and generate about $35 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 firms account for about 41% 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.
Industry Forecast
Nurseries, Garden Centers & Farm Supply Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 28, 2025 - Sales, Inflation Up
- Sales for building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were up 0.7% in November 2024 compared to a year ago and were down 11.1% from the previous month, according to the US Census Bureau. Leading industry indicators showed improvement in November 2024, with consumer spending up 2.9% compared to a year ago and single home sales up 8.7% year over year. Producer inflation for nursery, garden, and farm supply retailers rose 5.7% in December 2024 year over year while employment fell 1.2% year over year in November 2024, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- New research from Monrovia found that homeowners say that gardening brings them a sense of escape, relaxation, and accomplishment, with a trend toward natural looking gardens, according to a report in Garden Center. Nearly 40% of gardeners say gardening is their “me time,” up 8% from a year ago. About 31% of respondents agreed with the statement, “Gardening has become a new hobby of mine,” up 7% from last year. The report noted that men aged 35-45 who started gardening during the pandemic are still interested in the hobby and are open to communications in more tech-savvy ways such as text messages on new plants in stock or promotions. Other survey highlights were nearly 60% of respondents say gardening gives a sense of accomplishment, 36% say gardening reminds them of simpler times, 26% say they like their garden to have a more natural look, and 26% say they garden to attract pollinators.
- “Green” services providers – including the lawn care and landscaping industries - saw some mixed results in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Home Service Economic Report released in November 2024 by Jobber, a job tracking and customer management software firm. New work scheduled slowed down in Q3 2024 with the exception of July, after seeing growth early in 2024. However, Q3 2024 median revenue remained stable compared to Q3 2023. According to the report, “Although consumers are cutting back on large renovations, they still prioritize outdoor maintenance, aligning with the broader trends of maintenance.” Lawn care and landscaping activity levels are a demand indicator for nurseries and garden centers, which count landscaping firms as customers.
- The latest gardening industry trends include lived-in gardens, living fences, music components, a focus on foraging, and social retreats, according to the 2025 Garden Trends Report by Garden Media. Garden centers can embrace gardeners' love of music by introducing music to their functions, enhancing the connection between sound and nature with events like “Bring Your Own Vinyl” nights. Gardening retailers can also use the social component of gardening by collaborating with niche influencers, developing authentic and engaging content for platforms, and hosting workshops based on popular niches. The “lived-in” garden look emphasizes a dense, established look while foraging gardens allow gardeners to use their plantings to create floral patterns and arrangements. Living fences use a mix of layered plants instead of traditional hedges.
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