/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5fe4eb487242c29b11fd8055/0x0.jpg)
A kitchen and pantry organized by Neat Method, who launched a product line in August, 2020.
Source: Neat Method
At about week five of sheltering-in-place I realized how cluttered my pantry was; I had visited three grocery stores looking for instant yeast only to find some hiding behind the almond flour and a jar of oat groats. It seems I was not alone in the early-pandemic clutter-realization. Goodwill has reported a notable increase in donated items, including kitchen accessories. Professional organizers are also reporting they are busier than ever.
Organization businesses are booming, seeing, “a surge in organizing inquiries and product sales since the summer,” according to CEO and co-founder of professional organization franchise NEAT Method Ashley Murphy. She continues, “we think it is largely due to the fact that spending more time than ever before in your home has made people realize how much they want to address the efficiencies and clutter in their space. People are taking the time and money they would be spending on travel, going out to eat, etc and instead investing it in making the updates they desire in their homes.”
Not surprisingly with the closure of restaurants across the country, Murphy says that, “The number one space we organize is the kitchen/pantry.” NEAT has also seen, “…more inquiries for garage organization than years prior. With the increased need to hang outdoors, plus wanting to gain more usable space, many of our clients are wanting to get their garages cleared out and as neat as possible.” NEAT has responded to the increased interest in its kitchen services by launching a kitchen organization product line of its own.
“We launched our first line of direct-to-consumer products for kitchen and pantry in August of this year and have been blown away by the response.” While on the wish list since the inception of the company in 2010, it was a strategic acquisition by Whitmore in 2017 that officially made a future NEAT product launch feasible. Upon launching as a two-woman side hustle in San Francisco, NEAT co-founder and CMO Marissa Hagmeyer remembers, “The organizing industry definitely existed 10 years ago, but it was more of a DIY versus a DIFM approach. You would see toilet paper rolls repurposed as cord control.” The 2020 product launch has helped NEAT grow 187% during the pandemic. Murphy continues that, “This is due to both the launch of our product line as well as higher service demands than we have ever seen. The service side of our business of course slowed in the second quarter but those three months of everyone being stuck in their homes made them very ready to tackle their home organizing projects in the past few months.”
The pandemic has also seen a traditional in-person business model transform into a virtual-friendly one. Of the client process now, Murphy shares, “The process has drastically changed due to Covid. When possible, all consultations are now virtual… we’ve adjusted our protocol to ensure the health and safety of our franchise owners and clients. All organizers entering a home wear a mask, gloves and take temperatures. Our clients are asked to not be in the same room or even home if possible. We are not the organizers that hand hold our clients through decisions. We believe that in order for them to even get to the decision making part, we need to sort, categorize, space plan and purchase the necessary products for all of their belongings first. Then, once they are able to clearly see everything they have, we encourage them to eliminate anything they no longer need. At that point, we coordinate any consignment or donations, making it a full turnkey operation.”
As far as looking forward to the post-pandemic world, Murphy says, “We have every reason to believe that 2021 is going to be a huge year of growth for our brand. We plan to add at least 15 new markets, truly making us the largest organizing company in the world. We are also expanding our product offering with the launch of our closet collection in the spring, and Neat products will soon be in store, on the shelves of an iconic luxury retailer around the same time.”