March 2023 - 16

GREEN GOODS
market industry - acclimating a plant. There are a lot of
international rules on how many plants you can ship in
the box and how long it takes, and so figuring out ways to
work with people to really expedite the process has been
extremely helpful. "
Plants in Untraditional Places
Late last year, Plant Vault began a partnership with
Sedera, a trendy women's boutique in San Diego, which
brought together Heineman's love for both fashion
and plants.
" Sedera is one of the most well-known boutiques in
San Diego and owner Stephanie Stock's excellent taste in
fashion, along with my own style expertise, has made us
excellent partners. Additionally, I find it very rewarding to
educate customers who think they don't have a green thumb
that growing plants is easy - it's just a question of finding
the perfect match for you.
" I've found that people want plants in nontraditional
Plant Vault sells rare and unique plants and accessories.
and curate accessories to go along with the plants. Finding
unique planters, unique watering bottles, gardening aprons,
gardening boots - anything that's different than all the
things that you typically see in a regular gardening store. "
Starting Small
Heineman says when she started her houseplant hobby,
she was looking for plants different from what everyone
else had.
" I just went off on a search for rare plants: where are they,
how to get them. And the only way to find them was from
third-party sites, sight unseen, like 'This plant is an example
of the type of plant you will get' and each plant was $300 or
$500. It's kind of a sketchy interaction - I had plants that
arrived dead.
" Then I started dreaming, like - what if there was a
location that you can go and shop all the rare plants? "
Heineman says she started with about 20 rare plants
for sale, which sold out in a week. " I had an idea that I was
onto something, " she says, so, using her trendspotting
experience, she looked into what rare plants people were
interested in and bought them.
" The first time I opened my door, a customer came in,
and I think she spent $2,000 - and I knew I was
onto something. "
From there, she started working directly with growers
in Indonesia and Ecuador, and negotiating the best prices
possible, because she says that's part of what makes Plant
Vault unique.
" Most of the time, if you are importing from Thailand or
Ecuador, it takes weeks to get your phytosanitary certificate,
and another couple weeks for shipping. And typically, by
the time the plant gets to you, it's in poor health. But I work
with suppliers now that figure out what plants I want, they
import them to America, and they acclimate them for me
so my plants are ready to go. That's a big barrier in the rare
16 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | MARCH 2023
settings as well, like a women's boutique, because people
who are new to the plant world like to see a finished
product. They like to see a plant styled in a pot; sometimes
we put them on a beautiful macrame moss pole - just a
completed project where you just grab and go. "
She says it's also a misconception that rare plants can only
be indoor houseplants, when in fact most are grown outside
and can live outside in the right environment.
" For example, if you let a 'Thai Constellation' just grow, it
can be a giant, beautiful plant in your garden; landscapers
have reached out looking for special outdoor plants. Your
banana, Musa, can go outside - many of these plants can
go outside in the right environment. "
And for those not living in a tropical climate, the plants
can be potted (or kept in pots) and brought inside during
the colder months.
Providing Value
Open by appointment only, Heineman says she likes to
give customers a VIP experience. " We offer them something
to drink and they can sit down, I can show them plants, I can
show how to style the plants properly - it's complete care.
I make sure all their questions are answered. And we find
our customers are very happy with our service; we have, I
believe, 80% customer retention. "
For customers spending " a significant amount of money, "
a Plant Vault staff member will go over to their house with
them and show them where to place plants for optimal
lighting, as well as how to style them.
A Community Experience
Heineman attributes Plant Vault's high customer return
rate and loyalty to both their strong customer service and
their community building.
" We will be there long after the sale is over, " she says. " I
still have customers asking me about their plants and how
to care for them throughout the season. Customer service
is key in customer retention, and that is built from a likeminded
community.
" You want everyone to root for each other and
have reciprocal relationships that benefit everyone,
March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2023
