Online Sales Grow While Offline Declines: How the Gardening Retail Season Started

A cold spring and weaker consumer spending have negatively affected Russia’s gardening and dacha goods market. According to Kommersant, sales in the segment declined by 8% in March–April 2026 compared to the same period last year.

Data from Platforma OFD showed falling demand across several product categories: rake sales dropped by 11%, garbage bags and seedlings by 10%, and seeds by 5%. Analysts at Sber Index also recorded lower consumer spending on home and garden products. In March, spending declined by 9.8%, while in April the decrease ranged from 5.2% to 10.3%. During the first May holidays, spending was down by as much as 8.8%.

Inna Kondratyeva, Director of Category Management at Fix Price, noted that spring is traditionally the peak season for gardening and dacha products. However, for the second consecutive year, the market has experienced a slowdown during the first months of the season. For comparison, sales in the segment declined by around 3% in 2025.

Vladimir Panin, Managing Director of the Panin Plants garden center, attributed the weaker market performance to unfavorable weather conditions and an unusually snowy winter. At the same time, Stanislav Bogdanov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Omnichannel Retail Companies, believes that consumer demand will gradually recover once stable warm weather sets in.

Meanwhile, online sales continue to grow. According to Platforma OFD, online sales of gardening products increased by 14% year-on-year. The average online purchase reached RUB 5,900, compared to approximately RUB 3,500 in offline retail stores.

Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline Analytics, noted that when marketplace sales are included, the market still demonstrates positive overall dynamics, although growth rates have slowed by roughly half.

Marketplace Ozon also reported a significant increase in demand for gardening equipment: sales of wheelbarrows, carts, and shovels tripled, while rake sales grew by 1.7 times. A substantial share of seed and seedling orders came from residents of small towns and rural areas.

Retail chain Dom Lenta noted that consumers continue to favor traditional crops such as dill, parsley, basil, arugula, and cilantro. In addition, according to Vladimir Panin, ready-to-use potted plants that require minimal planting effort are becoming increasingly popular among buyers.

Source: REGIONS.RU

Against the backdrop of changing consumer demand, the growth of online sales, and the ongoing transformation of the gardening retail market, professional industry platforms are becoming increasingly important for market participants to discuss current trends, exchange practical experience, and explore new business opportunities.

These topics are traditionally among the key focuses of the International FlowersExpo Exhibition, which brings together companies operating in the segments of gardening products, plants, nurseries, garden centers, and landscaping solutions. One of the major annual business events within the exhibition program is the Green Retail Conference, dedicated to the development of garden retail, changing consumer behavior, and modern retail strategies.

More information about exhibiting at the show is available here — Become an Exhibitor.
Visitor registration — Visit the Exhibition.