Dive Brief:
- DTC plant company The Sill on Tuesday expanded into outdoor plants, trees and gardening products, per a company release emailed to Retail Dive.
- Known for houseplants, The Sill is introducing more than 150 new products. The company says entering the outdoor plant category will expand its total addressable market three times from $5 billion to nearly $16 billion.
- The new outdoor products include fruiting and flowering trees, shrubs, bushes, soils, fertilizers, tools and planters.
Dive Insight:
Launched in New York City in 2012 by Eliza Blank, The Sill took off during the pandemic as people were spending most of their time indoors. To date the brand has recorded sales online in excess of $50 million and shipped over 1 million houseplants to its customer base.
“In our journey of growth, we're excited to extend beyond indoor plants to offer outdoor varieties and gardening essentials,” Blank said in an email to Retail Dive. “The Sill can now help you cultivate a love for all plants, anywhere in your space — from your window sills to your porch, patio and garden."
The Sill currently has four brick-and-mortar locations — three in the New York City area and one just outside of Washington, D.C., in Bethesda, Maryland — and ships products across the country. Approximately 75% of its sales come directly from its website.
The product expansion comes after the brand, like much of the retail industry, faced pandemic-related challenges, particularly around its supply chain.
“Like many homegoods brands, we saw explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020 during the initial lockdown period,” Blank said. “However, we were not immune to the hardships that followed. The unexpected growth that came in Q2 of 2020 was quickly followed by years of supply chain challenges — not just for The Sill, but for the plant industry at large.”
The company faced supply chain disruptions most acutely in 2021, but they lasted well into 2022, according to the company. They resulted in inflated costs for the business, from the cost of plants and planters to freight and shipping, the company said.
The Sill last September also launched a crowdfunding campaign via WeFunder to raise capital as it grappled with a tough fundraising environment for startups.
