Increasingly consumers are looking to lead a low impact life – so what can you do to attract the green-minded shopper?
More and more people are now looking to live the low impact life, reducing their environmental footprint in all areas of their lives. The trend is creating a fresh opportunity for natural products retailers, enabling them to reach a new audience of greens – and expand their offer to their traditional natural and organic consumers. While specialist green retailers like the trailblazing Greenshop and inspiring eco centres like the Centre for Alternative Technology tend to offer the biggest ranges of low impact living products, natural products retailers are increasingly getting in on the action.
Actively green
Some natural products retailers already have an actively green local customer base. Take Wholefoods of Newport in Pembrokeshire. The village in which it is located, and the surrounding area, is a hotbed of alternative lifestyles. Many of the store’s customers aim for a fully holistic way of life – so low impact home products are a natural companion to natural healthcare and organic food and bodycare. The store offers an extensive range of green cleaning and personal care products – but it also has a specialist book section covering the natural environment and sustainability, and even finds room for craft products and gifts that support sustainable livelihoods. Oh, and if you need an environmentally friendly tooth- brush or some silky soft bamboo socks, you’d be in the right place.
Starting point
Green cleaning ranges are often the starting point in the natural living repertoire for smaller retailers. And here, there’s a great range of products on offer with compelling green and ethical credentials – but you will need to be vigilant about claims because there’s still a lot of greenwashing about. In fact, this is such a prob-lem that Whole Foods Market in the US has set up its own ‘Eco-Scale’ to help its customers make better choices. In the UK, retailers can refer to guides such as Ethical Consumer’s ethical ratings system, which scores products against a set of 20 ethical criteria, including detailed environmental evaluations. In the past, selling area – and the usual issues of shelf-space competition – has tended to dictate the extent to which a health food or wholefood retailer will get into green pro- ducts. But retailers with e-commerce sites are finding they can offer a wider range of eco products on their store sites by using specialist wholesalers as their ‘store room’. One thing is clear, the range of eco products coming onto the market is growing rapidly. From organic bedding to sustainable tableware, eco cleaning and homeware products to energy-saving gadgets and gifts – there’s something for all of your green-minded customers.
Hot Stocks
Bio-D’s brand new look
British eco products manufacturer Bio-D has overhauled its popular range of ethical cleaning and laundry products with new pack formats and a contemporary new look. The new pack designs aim to make the brand benefits clearer and convey a more consumer-centric feel.
Jumping off
Quickly gaining shelf space, the Greenfrog range of cleaning products is based mainly around saponin, extracted from the pulp of a berry called Aritha (soapnuts) which grow in the Himalayan foothills. Greenfrog has harnessed the properties of soapnuts in a range of quirkily branded products for the kitchen, laundry room and around the home. Zero in Responding to growing concern around allergies and sensitivities, Ecover Zero, developed with Allergy UK, includes laundry liquids, fabric softeners and a recently added washing up liquid – all fragrance-free and dermatologically tested.
Hapi hour
Hapi Bean’s convenient range of soya candles are made from soya grown on socially responsible farmland in America. Unlike paraffin wax based candles – which release 11 different toxins when they burn – Hapi Bean’s soya candles burn cleanly and are aroma free. Available in a range of glass holders and as refills.
Bambu beauties
Bambu is one of the best-known names in the natural kitchen and tableware category. Many of its handcrafted range of bamboo products are certified organic – and all are made from renewable materials, including bamboo, cork, coconut and hemp.
New leaf
Picking up Best Eco Product in Your Healthy Living magazine’s 2013 Best Products Awards, Suma’s Ecoleaf Laundry Liquid is based on fully biodegradable ingredients from sustainable sources.
Smile please
The Environmental Tooth-brush has a handle made from MOSO bamboo – an environmentally sustainable source of timber – while the biodegradable bristles are BPA free and bacteria resistant. Return to the soil when finished with.
Natural Living Listings
Hapi Bean Soy Candles
Tel: 07947 464186
E-mail: [email protected]
www.hapibean.co.uk
At Hapi Bean Soy Candles we specialise in luxurious unscented 100% soy wax tealights, container candles and refills. Every candle is handmade in the UK and will offer many glorious hours of clean-burning bright candlelight. All Our Candles: • Are 100% vegetable, made with Pure Soybean oil, GUARANTEED! • Are NATURAL and biodegradable. • Are NOT tested on animals. • Are SUITABLE for Vegans • Are FREE of palm wax, petroleum, paraffin and beeswax products. • Are FREE of pesticides and herbicides. • Are FREE of toxic materials. • Are FREE of Genetically Modified Material. Quality Candles The Ethical Way
JASÖN Oral Care
Alex Barani, Kinetic Natural Product Distributor,
Tel: 08450 725 825 Fax: 08450 725 826
E-mail: [email protected]
www.kinetic4health.co.uk
JASÖN range of natural toothpastes, gels and mouthwashes are gentle and safe for the whole family to use every day. Hardworking they control tartar, keep breath fresh and smiles bright and beautiful. There’s no nasties such as sodium lauryl/laureth sulphates, preservativesor propylene glycol, There are four formulas – Powersmile Whitening, Sea Fresh Strengthening, Healthy Mouth Tartar Control and NutriSmile Enamel Defence, and each is available in a gel with fluoride or a paste without fluoride.
Kingfisher Childrens Strawberry Natural Toothpaste
Kingfisher Natural Toothpaste
Tel: 01603 630484
E-mail: [email protected]
www.kingfishertoothpaste.co.uk
Like all of our range, Children’s Strawberry Natural Toothpaste contains no artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colourings or preservatives. And, of course, it’s vegan, never animal-tested and GM free. We carefully make this stuff with natural ingredients and without SLS. Naturally, the coconut we use is from WWFN sustainable managed estates. Every box and tube displays the Ethical Consumer Best Buy logo. This toothpaste has been tried, tested and approved as lovely by Amélie (aged 5). The vibrant box and tube were designed by my beautiful daughter, Bessie. We think that our newest toothpaste tastes fantastic and hope that your kids agree.
Dr Broner Shaving Gels
Kinetic Natural Products Distributor
Tel: 08450 725 825 Fax:08450 725 8256
E-mail: [email protected]
www.kinetic4health.co.uk
Dr Bronner Shaving Gels are smooth and effective without the need for synthetic ingredients. Formulated with organic Shikakai, from the seed pods of Acacia trees, and organic Grape Juice for a superior soothing and moisturising glide. Best used after Baby Mild Liquid Soap which provides superior hair lift and wetting. Available in Peppermint, Lavender, Lemongrass Lime, Tea Tree and Unscented. Like all Dr Bronner products, this is Organic and certified Fair for Life.
Ecozone Non-Bio Laundry Capsules
Tree of Life
Tel: 01782567100 Fax:01782 567199
E-mail: [email protected]
www.treeoflife.co.uk
Sensational cleaning power on tough stains. Just one Ecozone non-bio laundry capsule leaves your clothes clean and fresh without any nasty residues. Suitable for whites and colourfast clothes the natural formula has been specially developed for excellent results on all of your laundry challenges whilst being gentle next to your skin. Free from optical brighteners, with a fresh laundry fragrance the non-bio capsules are vegan and cruelty free and are available in 20 capsules tubs. For more information on the non-bio capsules and the other products in the Ecozone eco-friendly household range visit www.ecozone.com
