THE boss of Stewarts Garden Centres says the firm will not be making a profit this year despite bouncing back in the aftermath of the Covid lockdowns.

Martin Stewart said businesses had faced “storm after storm” and the firm was dealing with rising costs and customer caution.

Accounts just published for Christchurch-based D Stewart & Son show that “trading bounced back positively” in the year ending January 31, 2022.

The company reported a profit of £500,705 for that year, after a loss of £190,705 the year before, and said its financial position "remains healthy", with net assets of £11.1million.

But Mr Stewart told the Daily Echo: “This year has been really tough again so we won’t be making a profit this year, that’s for sure.”

Although garden centres were closed during their traditional peak season by the first Covid lockdown in 2020, Mr Stewart said wider Covid restrictions had fuelled demand when the centres reopened.

“It played into our hands because there was no foreign travel and there was working from home – and now foreign travel is back and working from home is a bit less, people have got more choice again,” he said.

Total revenue for 2021-22 was £15.5m, up 9.5 per cent compared with the year that ended just before the pandemic, in January 2020.

But Mr Stewart said customers were currently “being careful” as costs rose.

 “Sales this year are a little bit down on last year. Our costs, heat and light are up, wages are up, interest payments are up, bank rates are rising,” he said.

“I’ve run our business for 40 years and I’ve never seen this continual barrage of storm after storm. It’s relentless."

The annual report said the company had been investing in improving the customer experience, pursuing a green agenda and building a glasshouse at Broomhill as a learning “hub” with support from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

In 2021-22, Christchurch Garden Centre accounted for £8.5m of the annual turnover, Broomhill Garden Centre in Wimborne £3.35m and Abbey Garden Centre in Titchfield, Hampshire, £2.61m.

Mr Stewart said in his report: “Credit and thanks go to colleagues across the business, whose commitment and hard work continue to make a difference in these difficult times.

“The team has been incredible in rising to the challenges and I am sure that there will be more to come, as we continue to adapt for the future in creating a stronger and more sustainable business.”