Houseplant sales rose more than 30 percent during the pandemic. Now small, locally owned shops face competition from large venture-capital backed stores. Crain's reporter Ally Marotti discusses the retail rivalry with host Amy Guth.

Plus: Portillo's plans an IPO; two Chicago startups are going public via blank-check firms; a local shopping center owner is being bought in a multibillion-dollar deal; and a look at how marijuana cultivation centers are growing jobs in rural Illinois.