LiveTrends is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. On July 1st, 2013, the company was born and is nowadays one of the biggest suppliers in the U.S. Two years ago, the Apopka, FL-based company decided to bring LiveTrends to Europe. They took over BotaniQ lab in Denmark, and now they have four brands they offer. Due to the pandemic, the IPM Essen was the first opportunity where they could present their products and solutions to the public on a large scale.
Soren Offer Madsen and Martin Rasmussen at the IPM Essen.
How it started
LiveTrends was born from the dream that everyone should have access to natural artistic home decor. The founder and CEO is Bisser Georgiev, and he started with just three employees.
The first year had its fair share of challenges, but in 2014 LiveTrends gained popularity as retailers across the country started showing interest. With an influx of new orders, LiveTrends faced an unexpected challenge: a lack of production capacity and people to fulfill the growing demand. As a result, more greenhouses and production facilities were opened, and the LiveTrends family grew.
Fast-forward to 2017: LiveTrends was quickly becoming a household name in thousands of homes across the U.S. and Canada. LiveTrends' products were always innovative, surprising, and joyful. This secured LiveTrends' presence at over 14,000 retail stores and earned the company the #256 spot on the coveted Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S., which marked the first time a horticultural company had ever been recognized.
In 2019 LiveTrends made its first big acquisition and added the Urban Jungle to its portfolio of brands. That year the company also expanded its product scope to larger houseplants and started to produce part of its own supply of live goods in its greenhouses.
The LiveTrends family grew once more in 2021 when the company acquired BotanIQ Lab and formed LiveTrends Design Group Europe, with offices based in Denmark. Through the addition and rebranding of BotanIQ, LiveTrends started to make its mark in the European market, a dream Bisser has had since he first founded the company.
With new brands and more products than ever before, the company's facilities grew beyond the 120,000 sq. ft. of their first warehouse complex in Apopka to include greenhouses and facilities in Mount Dora and, in May of 2021, Umatilla.
The opening of the flagship boutique in Wintergarden in 2021 marked the first step in sharing designs and products directly with customers. This expansion continued with the launch of LiveTrends' website in 2022, which allows customers to shop both LiveTrends and Urban Jungle online.
Today, the company is still fully owned and operated by Bisser and is led by a management team. The company now employs more than 500 people.
Creative process
Every year they launch around 400 products within their concepts, which are all own designed. Part of the success of the company is driven by how they apply trend research. It is a 5 step process which starts with discovering new trends 22 months before a new trend is planned to be launched. At that time, they gather trends, identify future needs and target new opportunities. Then,18 months in advance, 10-full time industrial design and development creatives start designing with a consumer-centric approach. Then, the designs are being refined 12 months in advance, where samples are evaluated, quality is tested, and consumer tests are conducted. Afterwards, 6 months in advance, the best vendors are secured, and they are developing green packaging and sourcing the plants from their greenhouses. Every live plant is hand-assembled, and when it is launched, it is either available on their webpage or being sold via their retail partner's stores.
Fusing nature and art
With their innovative approach of "Fusing Nature & Art," they aim to bring a new level of mindfulness and expression to the indoor plant and home décor industry. "At LiveTrends, we believe that nature and art are not only complementary, but they can also enhance each other to create something truly unique and special."
LiveTrends in Europe
LiveTrends have been working hard to expand their reach and connect with new customers, and their focus on Europe is a natural next step in our growth, explains Martin Rasmussen, CEO of LiveTrends Europe. "We are thrilled to bring our unique product designs and creative marketing strategies to the European market and receive such a positive welcome." At the IPM Essen that took place last month, they showcased their products for the first time in Europe. "We have a strong commitment to delivering the highest quality products to our customers, and we are excited to bring that same level of commitment to the European market as we have for the U.S. market for the past 10 years."
"In Europe, we have identified the potential for significant growth in the region and are excited to be working with retailers and garden centers to bring our products to their customers. Through our partnerships, we aim to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships that will help us to reach new customers and expand our footprint in the industry. We believe that our focus on trust, creativity, and reliability will help us to stand out from the competition and be the front-of-mind brand for customers looking for high-quality indoor plants and home décor accessories. We are looking forward to this new chapter in our growth and are confident that our focus on quality, innovation, and customer engagement will help us to achieve our goals for the future."
For more information: 
LiveTrends
www.livetrends.com