Why Every Garden Centre Should Evolve to Include a Relaxation Zone

The Future of Outdoor Living Retail

Outdoor living has become one of the most exciting and valuable categories within UK garden centres. Over the last twenty years, it has evolved from a seasonal department offering basic garden furniture into a lifestyle destination featuring premium dining collections, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, decorative accessories, fire pits and luxury lounge furniture.

For many retailers, outdoor living is now one of the most important revenue-generating categories during the spring and summer season.

However, while the products have evolved dramatically, many outdoor living departments still follow a very similar merchandising approach. Walk through several garden centres and you'll often see rows of dining sets, lounge furniture and BBQs displayed in much the same way. Although these categories remain essential, they tell only one part of the outdoor living story.

Today's customers are looking for much more than somewhere to entertain. They are investing in gardens that improve their wellbeing, provide somewhere to escape busy lifestyles and create spaces where they can genuinely relax.

This changing consumer behaviour presents an exciting opportunity for garden centres.

Rather than simply expanding existing furniture displays, retailers can create an entirely new destination within their store—a Relaxation Zone.

 

Understanding Today's Garden Centre Customer

Gardens Have Become Outdoor Living Spaces

The modern garden is no longer viewed simply as somewhere to mow the lawn or grow flowers. For many homeowners it has become an additional room of the house.

Customers are investing in landscaping, premium planting, decorative lighting, water features, outdoor rugs, soft furnishings and comfortable seating because they want gardens that feel every bit as welcoming as their indoor living spaces.

The rise of flexible working and spending more time at home has accelerated this trend even further. Gardens are now used as home offices, reading spaces, wellness retreats and quiet places to unwind after work.

This change has fundamentally altered how customers shop. They are no longer looking purely for products. They are looking for inspiration.
 

Customers Buy Feelings Before They Buy Products

One of the biggest lessons from modern retail is that customers rarely purchase products based solely on specifications. Instead, they buy into the emotion those products create. When someone purchases a dining set, they aren't simply buying a table and chairs.

They're imagining family lunches.

• Birthday celebrations.
• Summer evenings with friends.
• The same principle applies throughout outdoor living.
• A pergola represents stylish outdoor entertaining.
• A fire pit represents extending evenings outdoors.
• A hammock represents slowing down.
• A hanging chair represents comfort.

These products create emotional connections because they represent experiences rather than objects. Retailers who merchandise around those emotions often create far more engaging displays than those focusing purely on product features and pricing.

 

Why Traditional Outdoor Furniture Departments Need to Evolve

Standing Out Is Becoming More Difficult

Outdoor furniture has become increasingly competitive. National chains, independent garden centres, DIY retailers and online marketplaces all offer similar products. Price comparison has never been easier. As a result, differentiation has become one of the biggest challenges facing physical retailers.

The question is no longer:

"Do we sell outdoor furniture?"

Instead, it is:

"Why should customers choose to visit our outdoor living department rather than somebody else's?"

Creating memorable retail experiences is one of the most effective ways to answer that question.

 

The Shift Towards Experiential Retail

Across every area of retail, businesses are recognising that physical stores must offer something the internet cannot.

Experience.

Customers still enjoy visiting stores that inspire them. They enjoy discovering products in realistic settings. They value knowledgeable advice and attractive displays that help them imagine products in their own homes.

Garden centres are perfectly positioned to embrace this approach because they already excel at creating environments that customers enjoy spending time in.

Cafés transformed many garden centres from shopping destinations into leisure destinations.

Seasonal displays encourage repeat visits. Restaurants increase dwell time. Lifestyle gifting broadens appeal. A Relaxation Zone is simply the next logical step in that evolution.

 

What Is a Relaxation Zone?

More Than Just Another Product Display

A Relaxation Zone is not simply a collection of hammocks or hanging chairs grouped together. It is a dedicated lifestyle destination that showcases an entirely different way to enjoy the garden. Instead of focusing on entertaining guests, it focuses on helping customers relax, recharge and enjoy quieter moments outdoors.

A successful Relaxation Zone typically includes:

• Premium hammocks and hammock stands.
• Hanging chairs and relaxation seating.
• Carefully selected planting to soften the display.
• Outdoor cushions and complementary accessories.
• Lifestyle photography showing real gardens.
• Educational signage explaining the benefits of outdoor relaxation.
• Clear product information without overwhelming customers.
• Open layouts that invite exploration rather than simply displaying stock.

The overall objective is simple:

Help customers imagine themselves enjoying the space. 

The Commercial Benefits for Garden Centres

Increased Customer Engagement

One of the biggest advantages of destination merchandising is that it naturally encourages customers to slow down. Rather than walking past rows of products, visitors become curious.

They stop.

They explore.

They discuss ideas with family members.

That additional engagement creates valuable opportunities for staff conversations and product discovery.

 

Supporting Higher Basket Values

A customer inspired by a Relaxation Zone rarely purchases just one product. Instead, they begin building a vision for their garden. That often leads to complementary purchases across multiple departments, including:

• Decorative pots.
• Outdoor lighting.
• Cushions and throws.
• Garden ornaments.
• Plants and shrubs.
• Parasols.
• Side tables.
• Gifts.
• Outdoor accessories.

The display becomes a catalyst for wider purchasing throughout the store.

 

Strengthening Brand Identity

Garden centres increasingly compete on experience rather than price. A memorable Relaxation Zone communicates something important to customers. It says this business understands how people actually want to use their gardens.

That message reinforces the retailer's position as an expert in outdoor living rather than simply another place selling furniture.

 

How to Create a Relaxation Zone

Five Principles for Success

The most successful Relaxation Zones share several common characteristics.

1. Tell a Story

Avoid displaying products in isolation.

Instead, build a complete outdoor lifestyle scene that customers can imagine recreating at home.

2. Merchandise Around Feelings

Focus on comfort, calmness and wellbeing rather than simply listing product specifications.

3. Use Height and Texture

Introduce planting, timber, soft furnishings and varying display heights to create visual interest.

4. Keep It Curated

Less is often more.

A carefully edited display feels more premium than overcrowded merchandising.

5. Refresh It Regularly

Seasonal planting, new accessories and updated lifestyle imagery help maintain customer interest throughout the year.

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many retailers unintentionally reduce the impact of their displays.

Common mistakes include:

• Overstocking the display.
• Filling every available space with products.
• Relying entirely on price tickets.
• Forgetting lifestyle imagery.
• Treating the area as storage rather than inspiration.
• Failing to create a clear customer journey through the display.

Remember that customers should immediately recognise they have entered a different type of retail space.

 

Looking Ahead

Consumer expectations continue to evolve. Wellbeing has become one of the defining lifestyle trends of the last decade, and outdoor spaces are increasingly viewed as places that support relaxation as much as recreation.

Garden centres that recognise this shift have an opportunity to lead rather than follow.

Creating a Relaxation Zone isn't about replacing dining furniture, BBQs or lounge collections.

It's about completing the outdoor living story.

Dining is for entertaining.

Lounging is for socialising.

A Relaxation Zone is for slowing down, recharging and enjoying life's quieter moments. Together, these categories create a complete vision of modern outdoor living.

 

Final Thoughts

Every successful retail category evolves. Garden centres introduced cafés because customers wanted more than shopping. Gift departments expanded because customers were looking for inspiration as well as plants.

Outdoor living grew because homeowners began investing more heavily in their gardens. Today, relaxation represents the next chapter.

Forward-thinking retailers have an opportunity to create something that many competitors still overlook: a destination dedicated to wellbeing, comfort and outdoor relaxation.

The businesses that embrace this change won't simply be selling more products.

They'll be inspiring customers to imagine a better way of enjoying their gardens—and that inspiration is often what turns a casual visitor into a loyal customer.

 

About Amazonas

For more than 30 years, Amazonas has specialised exclusively in premium outdoor relaxation. From handcrafted hammocks and hanging chairs to complete retail display concepts, our focus has always been helping people enjoy the outdoors in a more comfortable, mindful and inspiring way.

We believe relaxation deserves its own place within modern outdoor living. By helping retailers create thoughtfully designed Relaxation Zones, we aim to support garden centres in offering customers something distinctive—an experience that complements existing outdoor furniture departments while reflecting the way people increasingly want to enjoy their gardens today.