The Sill: Now Selling Outdoor Plants & Gardening Supplies
- The Sill, a brand initially known for its houseplant offerings, is making a meaningful shift toward outdoor gardening.
- CEO Smith explained the company is teaching customers the fundamentals.
- Beyond online education, The Sill is also merchandising its expanded plant selection.
the Sill is blossoming beyond houseplants, now offering outdoor plants and gardening supplies to meet the evolving needs of its millennial customer base. This strategic pivot increases order values and addresses economic challenges, with popular outdoor items including olive and Meyer lemon trees. By expanding its offerings, The Sill aims to provide a sense of grounding through the practice of gardening, teaching customers the basics, from digging holes to selecting the perfect plants for their spaces. This expansion is a key aspect of The Sill meeting its customers’ needs. The brand acknowledges the need for brands to adapt. News Directory 3 explores this timely shift.This initiative,focusing on patience and gratification,also promises to expand,with further educational content and merchandising strategies planned. Discover what’s next in this blossoming market!
The Sill’s Gardening Pivot: How Houseplants Grew Into Outdoor Spaces
Updated July 2, 2025
The Sill, a brand initially known for its houseplant offerings, is making a meaningful shift toward outdoor gardening. This move is designed to cater to its maturing millennial customer base and address economic challenges within the live plant industry.
CEO Smith explained the company is teaching customers the fundamentals. “I don’t know what to do,” Smith said. “So we are starting from the very basics of: How do you dig a hole?”
Beyond online education, The Sill is also merchandising its expanded plant selection. While older customers often seek privacy trees, younger customers in smaller homes purchase patio plants. Popular items include olive trees, frequently given as gifts, and Meyer lemon trees, wich are bought for enjoyment even in regions where they may only yield a few lemons annually.
While houseplants still dominate The Sill’s sales, Smith anticipates a 50/50 split between indoor and outdoor plants by the following year. this pivot addresses the high shipping costs associated with live plants,irrespective of order value. By including larger, more expensive outdoor items, the average order value increases, helping to offset these costs. Additionally, it boosts sales during the spring and summer months, complementing the peak houseplant sales during the holiday season.
Blank said she and Smith have no interest in reopening physical stores, and Blank said she is not seeking venture capital. The brand is ”done” raising institutional capital, she said. She added that many brands from the 2010s have struggled to adapt to their millennial customers’ evolving needs.
Blank noted that brands often stick to what they know or try to acquire younger customers, rather than evolving with their existing base.
“How do you keep yourself grounded when everything else around you is changing so rapidly?” Blank said. “Gardening just reminds us that there is a payoff to being patient, and you can’t have everything give you instant gratification.”
What’s next
The Sill plans to continue expanding its outdoor gardening offerings, focusing on educational content and merchandising strategies to meet the changing needs of its millennial customer base. The company aims to provide a sense of grounding and patience through gardening in a rapidly changing world.