Eartha is turning over high profits under Covid restrictions, with a constantly busy store and thousands of new Instagram followers
Since the March lockdown, founder of Eartha Stephen Peckham has adapted to the public’s desire to visit alternative places by increasing his Instagram presence and expanding into a cafe and retail store. Eartha is an independent plant and retail shop and vegetarian café in Roath.
Stephen claims the reason for his newfound success is people wanting to invest in their homes while being locked inside. He stocks a range of plants including Monstera, hanging Ivys, Palms and Aloes.
To adapt to the current climate, Stephen has found Instagram to be integral to the growth of his business, where @earthastore now has 8 thousand followers. He suggests his plant giveaways over lockdown were key to increasing his following.
Another factor is the accessibility of plants, he says. Customers range from five years old to 75.
He says, “A lot of independents have done better out of the pandemic because people have realised they prevent the city from being homogenous.”
How Eartha contributes to the community
In the height of lockdown, Stephen also cycled around the city to drop off plants to those isolating.
Ever since opening 2 years ago, Stephen has concentrated on sustainability and supporting independents. Eartha collaborates with local businesses to support the local economy. Produce is stocked from local coffee roasters, tea merchants, wine merchants, breweries, distilleries, ceramicists, bakeries and more.
Eartha has also started a “pay as you feel” propagation station, all grown in-house from cuttings of plants, with profits going to different charities. The current charity is Donate4Refugees, where money will go towards victims of a fire in the refugee Moria Camp in Greece, the largest refugee camp in Europe.
Rhianna Hurren-Myers, founder of @houseplantdiaries_ on Instagram, says, “Eartha’s products provide us with a safe way to reconnect with life in the comfort of our own home.”
On the future, Stephen says, “It’s going to be tough but with the surge of support for independents, hopefully we can survive.”