GARDEN lifestyle business Hillmount insists it can no longer sustain crippling price rises due to higher shipping costs and materials shortages, so will be forced to reconsider its own pricing policy from October.
The fourth generation family-owned business, which earlier this month opened its first retail outlet in Britain as part of a £500,000 investment, said it has already absorbed a number of additional costs going back to pre-pandemic days.
But managing director Robin Mercer admitted: “Many of our costs have risen astronomically, and so far we've taken this on the chin.
“And while we've kept prices static for 2021, unfortunately we won't be able to sustain this, as the current additional costs for large items like garden furniture is simply mind-blowing.”
A new report by Which? analysed 2,000 items and found a garden shed to be 155 per cent more expensive year on year, blamed on shipping costs, a lack of available raw materials and the impact of Covid on production.
Some major retailers are charging consumers hundreds - sometimes thousands - of pounds more for many popular outdoor items, with sheds, chairs, tables and other garden furniture all seeing massive increases.
Among examples Which? found were that the price of a shed sold by Screwfix rose from £319.99 in July 2019 to £814.99 this summer, while a dining set available from B&Q went from £247 to £369 over the same period.
Which? retail editor Ele Clark said: “Our analysis shows consumers have been hit with eye-watering price hikes for popular items.
“Anyone looking to buy garden furniture should consider shopping around for the best prices, exploring the second-hand market, or repairing what they already have if that's an option.
“It's also wise to plan ahead with any furniture purchasing at the moment. Large or custom items could take several weeks longer than usual to arrive, so think about what you might need later in the year and order it now, if you can.”
Mr Mercer added: “The main problem we’ve found is that, due to China stopping production for three months during lockdown last year, there's been a knock on effect on orders being delivered.
“Containers of furniture we ordered in August 2020 and due in April or May are now only starting to arrive now.
“We had one container arrive last week and are expecting another two within the next week or so, but there’s then the added headache of trying to find drivers to deliver our orders from the port to the garden centre.
“Manufacturing delays are a major problem, but we have had to take the added issue of shipping costs on the chin as well. Some containers which would usually have cost $2,000 now being priced as high as $22,000.
“Demand too has been an issue. Everyone seems to be wanting a set of garden furniture or barbecue, and while we are delighted to have had more customers than in previous summers as more people choose to holiday at home, sadly factors outside our control mean we've been unable to get people their items on time."
Last week Hillmount (www.hillmount.co.uk) opened a new centre in Cheshire, adding to its existing facilities in Belfast, Bangor and Ards.
Mr Mercer added: “We hope with the Hillmount Cheshire opening that some of the burden of transportation and expediting customer orders on time will ease for us as a business operating between GB and Belfast.
“The timing to expand felt right, simply because we have developed a strong customer base in England, Scotland and Wales and we want to provide our customers there with the same excellent customer service customers in Northern Ireland enjoy.
“Our online sales to GB have also grown steadily in the past 18 months, so we decided to grasp the opportunity and expand our business to include a physical presence in Cheshire, which makes liaising with GB suppliers easier and provides us with an opportunity to further expand our online reach.”
