Would you say you have a green thumb or are plants not your strength?
Having plants surrounding you can bring you more peace as you navigate your daily schedule.
One area business has you covered when it comes to bringing some healthy and beautiful plants to wherever you live or work.
San Diego Downtown & Uptown News recently caught up with Kailie Starr, owner of Wild Island Collective for an email Q&A.
UTN/DTN: Year your business started, location, and its social connections (Facebook, X, Instagram, etc.).
Starr: Business started in 2019, however I have been the owner for the past three years. We are located in Normal Heights at 3504 Adams Ave., Phone (619) 892-7579. Website/social media: https://wildisland-collective.com/
https://instagram.com/wildisland.collective/
https://facebook.com/wildisland.collective/
UTN/DTN: Talk a little bit about what your business has to offer.
Starr: Wild Island Collective is your local plant shop for beginner and expert plant lovers alike. Our team is friendly and always available to answer any plant questions you might have. We carry a variety of houseplants, planters, candles, accessories, and more. Supporting other local artists and small businesses is a core part of what we do—we proudly carry their products in our store. We also host yoga and wellness events and workshops in our amazing space amongst the plants. In addition, we offer plant styling services for homes and businesses alike to help you bring a touch of nature into your space.
UTN/DTN: What sets your brand apart from others in the local plant business?
Starr: Our customer service and plant knowledge sets us apart, especially from the big box stores. We help customers pick out the right plant for their environment and care abilities and are always available to answer any care questions customers have. Additionally, we hand-pick every plant that comes into the store, so our plant quality also sets us apart from our competitors. We also carry a variety of small vendors and artists in our shop as supporting small and local whenever we can is very important to us.
UTN/DTN: There are people out there who do not have a green thumb. What kinds of advice do you have for them to change that and make plants a part of their life inside and outside their homes?
Starr: We always try to set up our customers for success when making a plant purchase. This includes helping them pick out the right plant for their environment and the care that they can provide. We also share care tips for the type of plant they’re getting to ensure they’re taking care of it properly. We want them to leave feeling confident that they’re taking home a plant that they can handle the care for. Additionally we make ourselves available in store and via our social platforms and email to answer any plant questions customers have throughout their plant journey. A lot of people think that if their plant looks sad, they just need to water it, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes plants outgrow their pots and need to be repotted or they’re lacking nutrients and need to be fertilized. We offer sort of ad hoc plant diagnosis services; additionally we offer plant repotting services to again ensure your plant is happy throughout its life. Our commitment to exceptional customer service is again something that you’re not going to find at big box stores and is why our customers keep coming back to us.
UTN/DTN: Where do you see your business a year from now?
Starr: We love partnering with other small businesses in the community so we’d love to expand on that. Whether it’s collaborating on an event, hosting a workshop at your business, etc. we love small business collabs! We’ve also been adding more merchandise to our business so we’re not “just a plant shop.” We started bringing in vintage clothing this year which has been a big hit, as well as more gift and home items so we plan on expanding on that in the next year. We also plan to expand our e-commerce business this year. We launched last year, but getting traction there has proven a bit challenging so we’re prioritizing that this year as well.
Editor’s note: If you have an Uptown/Downtown area small business you think might make for an interesting story, email: [email protected] for consideration.
(Courtesy photos)
