Image via facebook.com/GoSproutIt

I have a friend who has always had the best garden; throughout the summer her yard and kitchen are filled with fresh herbs and vegetables that cannot be beat by anything bought from the grocery store. I have always been a little envious of her green thumb but never had the confidence to try out my own. Lucky for me, and everyone else who has ever hesitated to start a garden of their own, she put her gardening and design expertise to work and created Sprout it; a web based app that takes the “guessing out of gardening.”

Image via Sprout It

Created by Sarah Bush, Matt Armstead, Brooke Paul and R. Brian Stone, Sprout It helps users to design and maintain their garden by guiding them through growing plans, planting tips and advice and notices that are specific to your garden and location.

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Editor’s Note: As ever-vigilant trend spotters, we’ve noticed a few ideas worth keeping our eye on in the new year. One of the trends to watch in 2013…

Editor’s Note: As ever-vigilant trend spotters, we’ve noticed a few ideas worth keeping our eye on in the new year. Here’s one of the trends to watch in 2013…

There’s a new definition of consumer demand emerging through online funding programs like Kickstarter, where the consumer is actually choosing to support and invest in the ideas or innovations that they want to see developed.

In the last couple years, we’ve seen retail stores and restaurants developed either solely or partially funded by the consumer through crowdfunding. One of the things influencing this trend is the increasing desire to support independent or local retail. For entrepreneurs, this method enables them to take their idea straight to the consumer and ask them to help fund it—no bank loan required.

Image via duke-winston.com

Philadelphia-based, casual apparel brand Duke & Winston utilized the Kickstarter platform to help gain funding to increase its national presence. Those who “kick in” are awarded merchandise based on their investment level, ranging from a $25 t-shirt up to a shopping spree.

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Image property of Chute Gerdeman

As a lover of good cheese and all things delicious, I would consider myself a foodie. Sadly, my location in the Columbus area isn’t near the healthier grocery stores (think Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s) that offer more options than the traditional grocers. I do my grocery shopping at Kroger and Giant Eagle for proximity reasons (and I’m lucky to have newer store concepts of both). But, to buy cheese and more gourmet items, I’ll make the trek to Whole Foods.

I noticed construction was underway for a new store nearby, and I was hoping it might be a Whole Foods. After much research, I discovered that Earth Fare, The Healthy Supermarket (that’s what they call themselves), was going to open. Would they fulfill my dreams of cheese, upscale nuts and an organic wine selection close to home?

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Image via facebook.com/BirchboxMonthly

We all love to sample things—from perfumes, taste testing at the grocery store to wine tastings. Retail and manufacturer brands have caught on and discovered that sampling helps expose customers to new products and are more likely to purchase if they try before they buy. Understanding that approach, and in an effort to help cut through the clutter and find products that really work, young entrepreneurs Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp (who met at Harvard Business School) co-founded the beauty sampling program, Birchbox. How it works: subscriptions can be purchased for as little as three months for $30 or as long as a year for $110. Each month, a box is delivered to your doorstep featuring five new beauty and lifestyle products.

Image via birchbox.com

What’s unique about this sampling program is that it’s not just a random collection of items thrown together in a box. Products are first sampled by Birchbox staff and curated each month to support a theme. For example, March’s Birchbox theme was “Spring Training.” To help whip customers’ beauty routine into shape, they selected lifestyle products such as Kusmi’s detoxifying tea, Supergoop’s sunscreen wipes, Yogini’s “scent of liberation” and a few other goodies, all with the goal of getting the recipients’ beauty regimen on the right track.

Image via Chute Gerdeman

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Image via jcrew.com

Revamping the typical gift guide that retailer’s tend to send out around the holidays, J.Crew has gone above and beyond this year with its guest-edited wish lists. Jenna Lyons, J.Crew President & Creative Director, picked a few of her favorite people including fashion designer, Rachel Roy; lifestyle expert, Martha Stewart; model and style icon, Lauren Hutton; and two, adorable brother-and-sister Crewcut models to reveal what they’re hoping for this holiday season.

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