Business Barometer March 2008
These responses came from a Jan. 18, 2008, survey and originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Water Garden News.
‘Natural’ Trend Grows
Stone retailer in Everett, Wash.
People want to buy a water feature and forget about it, because they don’t have time for maintenance. My big sellers are smaller, column water fountains. The do-it-yourself kits are big movers. These water features are 12 or 8 inches deep and covered with stone.
Water treatments for algae control are popular as well. People want to dump chemicals in the water and run.
Overall, our pond and water feature business is stable. Sales are up about 5 percent over this time last year. We also sell a lot of stone to complement our water features. Customers want natural stone rather than concrete blocks. People love natural stone and sustainable, green landscapes. They just want a more natural look. Everybody is buzzing about Earth-friendly products.
The Remodel Revolution
Pond retailer in Arlington, Texas
It’s early in the season, but overall sales are pretty good for this time of year. What’s really selling is the remodel. People want to improve the form and function of ponds that were built 10 years ago. The trend used to be to demolish an old pond. Now people want to make their ponds beautiful and functional again.
Natural rock is gaining popularity to revive outdated water features. Concrete is going out of style. Most of my customers hate to see anything man-made. We sell rugged Texas and Oklahoma stone, nothing smooth or rounded.
People here also are adding waterfalls that look natural, not elaborate, huge falls. Customers wan 2-foot falls and a stream. They like every part of it covered with rock and gravel so the tubing doesn’t show.
The pondless water garden is a big seller. People are going a step beyond the water feature to incorporate multiple facets of their yards. They want decks, outdoor kitchens and anything else for the back yard.
Demand for Improvements
Water garden builder and designer in Freeport, Ill.
More people want us to do pond maintenance. That seems to be the largest demand we’re seeing. We’re doing more remodels to update the water features that were installed 10 or 20 years ago.
The features seem to be getting larger in my area. We’re using bigger stones to get that ‘wow’ effect. More people seem to want a water feature. I built 10 or 15 more of them in 2007 than the previous year.
We keep busy during the winter with seminars for our customers. They want tot learn. We teach them about pond building and aquatic plants.
This year’s trends will depend on the economy and what the housing market does. I think business might slow down. I’m planning some new events like a farmer’s market and a bus tour to a koi fish hatchery to attract customers and clients.
Lights, Waterfalls, Action
Garden pond retailer in Des Moines, Iowa
LED lights are gaining popularity, as are larger waterfalls. There might be more of a trend toward energy-efficiency.
In the Midwest, we don’t sell many inline pumps, but we’re starting to do more with larger, waterfall-type pumps. This type of pump allows customers to enjoy less rock and higher water volume.
While there’s snow on the ground and it’s 0 degrees Fahrenheit outside, one item that’s selling well is the sheer-descent waterfall. It creates a perfect sheet of water that tumbles out of the wall and has been highly popular for us.
I see a rise in demand for pondless water features as well. We’ve had a 30 to 40 percent increase in pondless water feature sales.
Overall, the water garden business has leveled off or gone down. Our sales increased in 2007, however over the year before. I’m counting on another increase in 2008.
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Business Barometer March 2008
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