A blooming retail garden business
What began as a single neighborhood garden center has blossomed into a pair of thoughtfully curated shops — one with an emphasis on design, tabletop and décor — in downtown Chicago.
Sprout Home first opened in 2003, when founder Tara Heibel discovered her passion for landscaping while renovating houses. The original shop established itself as a go-to garden center with houseplants, outdoor plants and seasonal greenery. But over the years, Heibel identified an opportunity to expand beyond plants and into homewares and florals.
The shop has a curated, eclectic energy — perfect for the urban customer with a green thumb — that is palpable through its merchandising. This twist on traditional garden retail gives Sprout Home a distinct personality.
“At the time, I was completely ignorant to the business which, unbeknownst to me, helped me put my own spin on it,” Heibel said.
In 2016, a storefront across the street became available, allowing the retailer to stretch its original concept. The garden center moved to the new location, and the original site evolved into a dedicated destination for home goods, tabletop items, gifts, candles and floral.
“It allowed us to not only physically expand but also add a heftier floral design department to facilitate design products and event work,” she said. “[I love] the ability and freedom to create spaces that excite the senses and give a reason to think outside of the traditional ‘boxes.’”
Finding Success
The retailer’s product mix today reflects far more than greenery, although houseplants remain a top seller. Sprout Home now stocks a mix of home, lifestyle and green products — think preserved bouquets, terrariums, candles, incense and home décor.
Heibel is always looking for ways to expand its product lines and categories, and it allows her to keep product that feels fun, fresh and unexpected. She also works with a variety of wholesale artists and vendors to change up its product line up on a consistent basis.
“For instance, having a floral business was never in our thoughts when we opened but it’s now a major component of our image and sales,” she said. “Also, the level of craftsmanship among the staff — top to bottom — is much higher than it was in our early years.”
Experiential Retail
Heibel’s vision for Sprout Home has always been more than just product — it’s about the retail experience. Scents, textures and colorways are layered into the merchandising that invites customers to immerse themselves in the product arrays.
“The store is in part about being an experience, and scent is more than part of that,” Heibel said, adding that the store just started selling a new line of perfumes by Fischersund that she anticipates will do well.
Younger shoppers in particular are drawn to local or handmade pieces, but Heibel considers it a “blessing” that there is no such thing as a typical Sprout Home customer.
“This is the advantage of being in a place like Chicago,” she said. “We get a little bit of everybody.”
Sprout Home’s mission is to remain creative and fun with a responsibility to its employees — which means keeping the shop successful.
“It’s really tough to say what the future of our business looks like,” she said. “Sometimes we dictate these things and sometimes they are dictated to us. Focusing on doing our best work, whatever that is at the time, is what matters to us most.”
Photos courtesy of Sprout Home.
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