Blooming sales push online plants supplier at Market Deeping into Sunday Times top 100

A surge in sales growth at YouGarden, in Sunderland Road, in Market Deeping, has seen the company named among the UK’s top achievers.

YouGarden has been ranked in 100th place in the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales.

Its figures show that the online gardening retailer achieved a sales growth of 38 per cent over three years to £17.7 million up to December 2019 - the period for which the league table is compiled.

But just months later the Covid-19 pandemic broke out followed by a national lockdown that forced many high street retailers to close and people told to stay at home.

That helped send demand for its garden products soaring between March and June forcing the company, which had 55 staff, to recruit an extra 75 people to cope with the increased workload.

It is the first year that YouGarden has featured in the top 100 league table, which includes high profile companies such as brewers BrewDog and fitness clothing brand Gymshark, both valued at more than £1 billion.

The Fast Track 100 is sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, BDO, DHL Express and N+1 Singer, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Group, said: “While we are living in extremely uncertain and challenging times, there is one thing I am certain of: entrepreneurs are the dreamers, the doers, and the innovators that have the power to have a positive impact on society.

“There are so many inspiring examples of this on the Fast Track 100 league table showing this is just as true, if not more so, in 2020 as it ever has been.”