Viva La Plant Revolution!

October 6 2020

Deprived of social interactions and necessitated by the pandemic, people are more in tune with their wellbeing. House plants have become an important part of self-care. It is now an important part of people's lives- to take care of something and be in charge of a living being when everything else is seemingly out of control.

While older generations have dismissed “the Millennial plant revolution” as a social media fueled obsession, plant startup The Sill knows it goes well beyond trendy aesthetics. Plants are an embodiment of health that we can look at and be inspired by. The plant movement is here to stay, and with that there is a balancing act between immediate aesthetic gratification and the personal fulfillment of nurturing another living being.

In the last few years, demand for indoor plants among city dwellers has soared, according to some retailers—especially among millennials. The National Gardening Survey found that of the 6 million people who started gardening in 2016, 80% of them were aged 18 to 34. Refinery29 has even declared that “plant ladies are the new cat ladies.”

Startups like The Sill sell a lot of the same kinds of plants that nurseries do. But the selection is usually curated around low-maintenance plants for indoor spaces, and additions like pots, packaging, and shipping are crucial aspects of their business. The race is on now to become the Amazon of plant businesses. As with many businesses, logistics is a big hurdle, especially for delivering a big item. However, many startups have challenged the preconceived notion of what can be successfully shipped by lightening the load, using sturdier materials, and shipping from local warehouses.

In the Spotlight - House Plant Startups:

So The Sill doesn’t just sell you a plant (along with basic care instructions). It also allows you to ask questions of the company’s plant experts — and with the opening of its first brick-and-mortar stores in New York City, it also offers weekly workshops. The company says it sold more than 75,000 products in the last six months, with sales up 500 percent year-over-year, and anticipated revenue for the year of nearly $5 MM.

Bloomscape was founded by Michigan designer and entrepreneur Justin Mast and launched in 2018 with the goal of reinventing how plants move about the country and arrive on customers’ doorsteps. What makes Bloomscape different are the steps it has made to ensure a better delivery process and its logistics operations behind-the-scenes. The company has filed a patent on parts of its plant packaging technology, where plants and pots are held securely at the right temperature. It also uses a proprietary soil mix that has a bonding agent that holds the soil together better during shipping and better protects the roots.

Urban Stems makes that bringing plants back to your home way easier—and more fun. Urban Stems has an extensive collection of flowers and plants to choose from, along with a variety of subscription plans and gift bundles (including special collaborations with Sugarfina and Brooklyn Roasting Company) as well.

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Funding & Deal Highlights:

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