Newsletter
Shop
Login
Menü
Garden ponds are growing in popularity in Europe. This is a trend that the pet product trade can capitalize on
When it comes to the fashion among people with gardens for creating a garden pond, the pet product trade has missed out over the years. In Germany, this market has been covered primarily by DIY stores and garden centres. In the Benelux countries, the garden pond segment was recognized as an interesting niche in the market by speciality businesses, while in the UK the pond business has principally been the domain of the garden centres.
The UK remains the principal market for garden ponds in Europe. In the picture: a pond landscape in the outdoor area of a Wyevale garden centre.
It is only in recent years that the market has livened up somewhat, but this change is not surprising: garden ponds have achieved a marked increase in popularity in Western and Central Europe, and even the media have taken up this previously neglected topic. And in the South of France and Italy too, where the climate is not really ideal for ponds, more and more gardening enthusiasts are opting to create a water garden.
A diverse market
The garden pond market is highly lucrative. It also calls for special expertise, which is why pet product retailers could significantly improve their market position by focusing in depth on the garden pond segment. The creation of a garden pond is an endeavour that has to be planned in minute detail, as even the choice of pond liner is important for determining how a pond will develop. To maintain a natural, healthy balance in a closed system such as a pond, accessories that function efficiently are indispensable. It’s no wonder, therefore, that the range of filter and pump systems on the market has expanded dramatically in the last few years. To remove debris that accumulates in the pond or on the surface, a sludge vacuum or a skimmer is required. Skimmers are also good for removing suspended matter and algae, while an aeration system provides the pond with vital oxygen.
Garden ponds are fashion-able. Market analysts are predicting still greater market penetration in the next few years.
Since ponds are exposed to the elements round the clock, their equilibrium is under threat from all sides. Algae and bacteria in particular give the pond and its inhabitants a hard time, but to remedy this water care products, algae treatments, sludge removers and many more products have been developed to make life as easy as possible for pond owners.
But that’s not all. A pond is only really enjoyable as a hobby if fish swim in it and plants grow in it. And the pet product industry benefits from this too; the number of suppliers of coldwater fish has been growing steadily throughout Europe. Some of these are long-established ornamental fish wholesalers, who originally only included freshwater fish in their range and expanded it to include goldfish, koi and other pond inhabitants. However, the business is by no means limited to supplying the stock for the pond. Fish want to be fed; they need special vitamins to strengthen their defences. And if goldfish or koi suffer from bacterial diseases, they naturally require remedies that will make them fit again.
Aquatic plants in vogue
The trade in aquatic plants has also grown in recent years and become ever more profitable. As demonstrated by specialist companies like Tropica and Dennerle, to name just a couple, the selection of plants for the garden pond is constantly expanding. Like fish, these have to be cared for if they are to have a long life. In contrast to many aquarium owners, who part company with their aquarium after the first failure, most garden pond enthusiasts are long-term devotees of their hobby. This is partly due to the high cost of setting up the pond, but also to the enjoyment that a water garden brings. There is thus a growing inclination among many pond owners to make their oasis ever more beautiful and attractive as the years go by. The UK is a shining example of what can be achieved with tasteful decoration. Ranging from stone sculptures, bridges and fountains to elegant little brooks, imagination and creativity know no bounds. Retail businesses with an outdoor area can differentiate themselves from the competition by offering a wide variety of decorative features. The garden pond segment offers the retail trade enormous growth potential, but not every pet product dealer has the opportunity to stock a comprehensive range of products. Often there’s simply a lack of space: a coldwater display facility is expensive and swallows up a sizeable chunk of the sales area. And anyone intending to get into the garden pond business should also be able to advise his customers on planning and creating a pond. Many pet product retailers have entered into cooperative agreements with companies specializing in pond design and landscaping for just this reason.
Risks and pitfalls
Apart from the high level of investment required, the often unpredictable weather in Central Europe poses another potential problem for those planning to get involved in the garden pond segment. Sometimes a cool spell in March mars the start of the pond season, in other years the summer is so hot that pond owners hold back on spending money. It is also unclear what long-term effects fish diseases like the so-called koi herpes virus will have on the development of the pond business. The main reason for the spread of this disease is undoubtedly overbreeding of koi, the fashionable fish of our time. Wholesalers with an eye to brisk business who obtain their stock from the Far East and introduce it too quickly into the retail trade, without an adequate period of quarantine, are also partly to blame for the rapid spread of the koi virus.
Swiss speciality chain Qualipet highlights the aesthetic pleasure of the garden pond as a hobby all year round in its store in Dietlikon.
In spite of this, specialist dealers should not lose heart. The garden pond segment should be one of the few sectors in the pet product industry with good growth prospects in the next few years. Take Germany, for example, the second-largest garden pond market in Europe after the UK: here the number of ponds increased from 900,000 to 1.7 mio between 1996 and 2002. And in the Benelux countries and France, and even more so in Eastern Europe, market analysts are anticipating strong growth in the garden pond sector in the future.
The UK remains the principal market for garden ponds in Europe. In the picture: a pond landscape in the outdoor area of a Wyevale garden centre.
It is only in recent years that the market has livened up somewhat, but this change is not surprising: garden ponds have achieved a marked increase in popularity in Western and Central Europe, and even the media have taken up this previously neglected topic. And in the South of France and Italy too, where the climate is not really ideal for ponds, more and more gardening enthusiasts are opting to create a water garden.
A diverse market
The garden pond market is highly lucrative. It also calls for special expertise, which is why pet product retailers could significantly improve their market position by focusing in depth on the garden pond segment. The creation of a garden pond is an endeavour that has to be planned in minute detail, as even the choice of pond liner is important for determining how a pond will develop. To maintain a natural, healthy balance in a closed system such as a pond, accessories that function efficiently are indispensable. It’s no wonder, therefore, that the range of filter and pump systems on the market has expanded dramatically in the last few years. To remove debris that accumulates in the pond or on the surface, a sludge vacuum or a skimmer is required. Skimmers are also good for removing suspended matter and algae, while an aeration system provides the pond with vital oxygen.
Garden ponds are fashion-able. Market analysts are predicting still greater market penetration in the next few years.
Since ponds are exposed to the elements round the clock, their equilibrium is under threat from all sides. Algae and bacteria in particular give the pond and its inhabitants a hard time, but to remedy this water care products, algae treatments, sludge removers and many more products have been developed to make life as easy as possible for pond owners.
But that’s not all. A pond is only really enjoyable as a hobby if fish swim in it and plants grow in it. And the pet product industry benefits from this too; the number of suppliers of coldwater fish has been growing steadily throughout Europe. Some of these are long-established ornamental fish wholesalers, who originally only included freshwater fish in their range and expanded it to include goldfish, koi and other pond inhabitants. However, the business is by no means limited to supplying the stock for the pond. Fish want to be fed; they need special vitamins to strengthen their defences. And if goldfish or koi suffer from bacterial diseases, they naturally require remedies that will make them fit again.
Aquatic plants in vogue
The trade in aquatic plants has also grown in recent years and become ever more profitable. As demonstrated by specialist companies like Tropica and Dennerle, to name just a couple, the selection of plants for the garden pond is constantly expanding. Like fish, these have to be cared for if they are to have a long life. In contrast to many aquarium owners, who part company with their aquarium after the first failure, most garden pond enthusiasts are long-term devotees of their hobby. This is partly due to the high cost of setting up the pond, but also to the enjoyment that a water garden brings. There is thus a growing inclination among many pond owners to make their oasis ever more beautiful and attractive as the years go by. The UK is a shining example of what can be achieved with tasteful decoration. Ranging from stone sculptures, bridges and fountains to elegant little brooks, imagination and creativity know no bounds. Retail businesses with an outdoor area can differentiate themselves from the competition by offering a wide variety of decorative features. The garden pond segment offers the retail trade enormous growth potential, but not every pet product dealer has the opportunity to stock a comprehensive range of products. Often there’s simply a lack of space: a coldwater display facility is expensive and swallows up a sizeable chunk of the sales area. And anyone intending to get into the garden pond business should also be able to advise his customers on planning and creating a pond. Many pet product retailers have entered into cooperative agreements with companies specializing in pond design and landscaping for just this reason.
Risks and pitfalls
Apart from the high level of investment required, the often unpredictable weather in Central Europe poses another potential problem for those planning to get involved in the garden pond segment. Sometimes a cool spell in March mars the start of the pond season, in other years the summer is so hot that pond owners hold back on spending money. It is also unclear what long-term effects fish diseases like the so-called koi herpes virus will have on the development of the pond business. The main reason for the spread of this disease is undoubtedly overbreeding of koi, the fashionable fish of our time. Wholesalers with an eye to brisk business who obtain their stock from the Far East and introduce it too quickly into the retail trade, without an adequate period of quarantine, are also partly to blame for the rapid spread of the koi virus.
Swiss speciality chain Qualipet highlights the aesthetic pleasure of the garden pond as a hobby all year round in its store in Dietlikon.
In spite of this, specialist dealers should not lose heart. The garden pond segment should be one of the few sectors in the pet product industry with good growth prospects in the next few years. Take Germany, for example, the second-largest garden pond market in Europe after the UK: here the number of ponds increased from 900,000 to 1.7 mio between 1996 and 2002. And in the Benelux countries and France, and even more so in Eastern Europe, market analysts are anticipating strong growth in the garden pond sector in the future.
Print - digital - online
