Heather Mills has expanded her growing portfolio of plant-based enterprises with the acquisition of award-winning online plant-based store Alternative Stores.
The acquisition comes as part of Mills’ latest pioneering venture, which aims to create a central hub of plant-based products to make it easier for consumers to find a wide range of diverse, healthy and tasty vegan options whilst supporting British family-owed businesses.
The father and daughter duo behind Alternative Stores, Dan John (who is heading to a well deserved retirement) and Zahra, have commented: “We are excited for the future of Alternative Stores with such a passionate vegan pioneer in Heather Mills. We have built up the most amazing and loyal customer base and know they will be as delighted as we both are for the ideas and plans that Heather and her team are working on. Watch this space!”
Zahra will continue to work with Heather and her team.
This expansion follows Heather’s recent recognition as ‘Vegan Woman of the Year’ at the 2024 Vegan Women’s Summit in Los Angeles and her purchase of the Plant & Bean manufacturing facility in Boston, UK and further expands her plant-based footprint.
Regarding the acquisition, Ms. Mills commented: “I observed too many family businesses struggling to get listed on corporate owned selling websites, facing endless paperwork, poor communication, and exorbitant charges that ultimately harmed their operations. I aim to create an ethical online store that supports family businesses and diminishes the control of large corporations abusing their power.”
Heather adds: “Our customers predominantly shop online, so our goal is to create a one – stop shop for convenience to consolidate a wide variety of nutritious and delicious alternative products under a single banner and framework…. from one family site.”
“People lead busy, hardworking lives, and we don’t always want to spend an hour online visiting multiple websites. I get that – so why not alleviate that burden if we can?”
“Our wider plan is to integrate this offering with the many high protein, delicious alternatives we already produce at VBites, creating a central hub of ‘hero’ plant based products in one place. From plant-based milk to allergen-free ready meals and ethical sweet treats, we are committed to quality. If it’s not fantastic, it won’t make it onto the site!”
