Data compiled by the Italian manufacturers' association indicate an overall drop of 14.5 per cent in the first half of the year, with more or less pronounced declines for almost all product types. The anomalous weather trend, together with inflation and rising price lists, is holding back a market that had recorded substantial growth in the 2020-2021 two-year period, the association states.

According to the Comagarden manufacturers' association on the basis of the Morgan survey, the decline in sales happened for chainsaws (-16.8 %), tillers (-23 %), garden tractors (-4.6 %) as well as consumer ride-on mowers (-5.3 %). Gardenvacs/blowers (-12.3 %) and traditional lawn mowers also fell (-24.1 %) even if within the typology the positive trend continues for robotic models, which recorded a 13 per cent increase in the period.

Among the few items in the black were hedge trimmers (+11.5 %) and ride-on mowers for professional use, which showed a growth of 81.1 per cent, albeit referring to a rather limited number of machines. The drop in sales, Comagarden explains, is due to a combination of factors, first and foremost economic uncertainty and inflation, with the consequent increase in list prices, which discourage purchases especially by the private and hobbyist public.

Beyond the particular economic and meteorological context, Comagarden observes a downsizing of the market was foreseeable, also to compensate for the impressive growth that occurred in the years 2020-2021 in conjunction with the coronavirus crisis, lockdowns and travel restrictions.

According to the association, assuming a stronger stabilisation of the economy and the weather development, a partial recovery of sales could start in the second half of the year, which would then end with an estimated deficit of about 6 per cent and a total of about 1.2 million machines and equipment sold.