From Our Family to Yours: YouCopia® Celebrates 15 Years of Creating Helpful Organizers for Happy Homes

From Our Family to Yours: YouCopia® Celebrates 15 Years of Creating Helpful Organizers for Happy Homes

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2024

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- YouCopia®, a global brand of category-leading home organizing products, kicks off its 15th anniversary celebration this month with a revamped website, and the launch of a refreshed loyalty program and new Organizing Hero™ Collection later this year. The collection features iconic best-sellers that have been redesigned with improved features, recycled materials and a fresh, modern aesthetic consumers will love.

Beginning with a single product to keep spices organized, the women- and family-owned company now offers more than 70 unique products and has sold more than 12 million units, including many market firsts, award-winning designs, fan favorites and viral-worthy organizers.

"YouCopia exists to help people feel happy at home by transforming their relationship with things through the magical power of organization," says YouCopia President Lauren Greenwood. "We do this by creating beautiful, innovative, patented designs that solve real-life challenges and make spaces more functional and sustainable." 

In 2007, Lauren and her father, Mark Greenwood, started SpiceStack, Inc. with a single spice organizer manufactured in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and shipped out of Mark's Arlington Heights garage. Then, with the vision of developing a full line of kitchen storage and organization solutions, YouCopia Products, Inc. was born in 2009. The name, while a play on "utopia," is not about perfection, but the feeling of satisfaction and happiness one gets from having your space organized for a smooth daily routine. 

"When we began 15 years ago, we identified storage and org as a nascent category that needed real innovation and unique ideas to solve problems for consumers like us who were setting up households, raising kids and pursuing careers," says Lauren, a newly named board member of the International Housewares Association. "We understand that getting organized is not everyone's idea of fun, so our products are designed to set up quickly, easily, and without installation. Then, you can get to what matters most, whether that's your family, pets, interests, or experiences."

In 2009, YouCopia made its first public appearance at the Gourmet Food Show in San Francisco, where they introduced the SpiceStack® line and made a connection with their first retail customer, Bed Bath & Beyond. Their first big break was a 200-store test with BB&B in 2010 which led to the spice organizer becoming available in over 1,000 stores the next year.

The company hired two additional employees – including another Greenwood family member – and opened its first office in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago in 2011. That's when they introduced CoffeeStack®, an adaptation of the SpiceStack for coffee pods, and debuted the SpiceStack on QVC.

In 2012, YouCopia moved into a larger office in the Mayfair area and released the TeaStand® organizer for tea bags, which would become a best-seller. The company's retail availability expanded to include The Container Store (2012), Amazon (2013), Target (2016) and Walmart (2017). To accommodate its growing team, YouCopia moved into its current Ravenswood office space in 2017.

From 2013 to 2018, the company rolled out line after line of one-of-a-kind innovations including Crazy Susan® lazy susans with removable bins and height adjustable tiers; StoreMore® adjustable racks for cookware, bakeware, pans and lids; and StoraLid® food container lid organizer that remains a top seller today.

A large rebranding investment in 2018 included all-new packaging, logo, e-commerce site, videos, and social media campaigns. They introduced their mascot — affectionately named Woohoo — who represents the magical feeling that organization can bring.

As a result of the Covid pandemic and people spending more time in their homes, consumers became obsessed with organizing their spaces, and YouCopia was able to reach millions of consumers online. Since 2020, YouCopia has introduced dozens of new solutions for cabinets, pantries, fridge/freezer, drawers, and under sink, including its StoraBag®, StoraRoll® and DoorStash™ collections, as well as its roller coaster-style RollDown® Egg Dispenser, which went viral on TikTok and YouTube, garnering millions of views. YouCopia added Sam's Club as a retail partner in 2022, and began relationships with distributors in Australia and Canada in 2023.

What 15 Years Means to Us: Products 

"Great products are at the heart of YouCopia," Lauren says. "One of our guiding design principles is, 'Make it unique or not at all.'" 

In 2023, YouCopia made a commitment to sustainable products, packaging and practices through their Organizers Made Better™ initiative.

"Our homes contain many things that make daily living easier and more enjoyable. Items that serve a purpose and are long-lasting make them a more sustainable choice," Lauren said. "YouCopia creates organizers with high-quality, durable materials to withstand daily use for many, many years. We aim to make products that 'move with you,' lasting longer than a rental agreement or mortgage contract. We're also ramping up use of recycled materials and finding ways to make goods recyclable, too." 

The company has received dozens of innovation and design awards from the International Housewares Association, Good Housekeeping magazine and Apartment Therapy, and its products are featured regularly on Real Simple, Food & Wine, Wirecutter, the Today Show, the kitchn, HuffPost, Buzzfeed, and several other online sites. 

What 15 Years Means to Us: People 

"We are helpers at heart who believe in the magic of a well-organized space," Lauren said. "Our team is inspired by the organization problems in our own lives. Everything we dream up must work in our own homes." 

YouCopia's talented team of design, sales, marketing and operations professionals are based in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood. The company attracts and retains outstanding employees through phantom stock, 401K matching programs, professional development, parental leave, hybrid work, and generous paid time off policies.

Lauren said, "It's nice when our products win design awards, but we know that the consumer is our greatest judge. We listen to our customers, read their reviews, and help design products to meet their needs. We support them with 24-hour customer care and provide flexible returns through our Feel Good™ promise. To show our appreciation to loyal customers, we're launching a new and improved loyalty program later this year."

YouCopia cares for people in the wider community through its Organizing Helps™ program, where five percent of every purchase can be donated to one of three nonprofit organizations that help build homes for the unhoused, empower women, and create a healthier planet. Customers can choose the cause that means the most to them either at checkout on YouCopia.com or by following the directions provided in their product packaging. 

What 15 Years Means to Us: Partners 

YouCopia works with only best-in class vendors such as our warehouse, material suppliers, manufacturers, freight forwarders, creative agencies, etc. 

The company maintains trusted partnerships with overseas factories that undergo regular 3rd party audits, such as SMETA and BSCI, to verify labor, health and safety, environmental and business ethics standards. Domestic suppliers and service vendors are carefully selected and managed, right down to the eco-friendly paper tape used for shipments. 

Looking ahead 

"Idea by idea, we have developed into the company we are today – thoroughly obsessed with organization and helping people feel the love of a tidy home," Lauren said. "Not every idea is a winner, but the ones we choose to make are those that help people feel better about their homes, and themselves. More positive feelings at home help people be their best selves out in the world." 

Lauren adds, "We can't wait to celebrate the past 15 years with our team, partners and customers…and we're excited to expand our organizing solutions beyond the kitchen into other areas of the home over the next 15 years. YouCopia is going to keep growing!"

Since its founding in 2009, YouCopia has helped millions of people discover the "woo hoo" feeling of being organized. The company consciously crafts organization products that are expandable and adjustable to fit different items throughout the home. With almost effortless set-up (no tools or installation required), anyone can transform their space into a happy place. YouCopia is a WBNEC-Certified Women's Business Enterprise based in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood. 

For More Information, 
Cynthia Greenwood
847-404-8404
cynthia@youcopia.com

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SOURCE YouCopia Products Inc.