How COVID-19 is causing the gardening industry to pivot

Modern Sprout, seller of in-home gardening products such as hydroponic kits that let budding gardeners grow basil, cilantro and other herbs in sleek tumblers, was doing 85 percent of its business through national department stores, independent gift shops and specialty chains. The remainder of its business was direct-to-consumer orders. Then coronavirus hit, and the same shops that have driven Modern Sprout’s business began canceling hundreds of thousands of dollars of purchase orders as shoppers stayed home. Like so many other companies, Modern Sprout found itself facing major disruption.

“This really has forced us to pivot, and I think it’s a good thing. It’s been something we’ve been meaning to do for a long time and it’s really forcing our hand” into expanding its online business and venturing deeper into marketing, says Sarah Burrows, who founded the company with her husband in 2013.

For companies like Modern Sprout, COVID-19 has brought a paradox. Consumers are more than ever interested in gardening, but what they are buying and how they are buying it has changed, causing industry players to rethink their own growth plans.