Following the The Veganuary Road Trip 2019 – a collaboration between non-profit organization Veganuary, frozen vegan pizza brand One Planet Pizza and the National Association of Health Stores (NAHS) – independent retailers and consumers alike have spoken out about the impact of the campaign.
The Veganuary Road Trip team ‘hit the road … with a van full of samples’ in order to ‘bring Veganuary back to the very shops where veganism began’.
A total of 16 independent health food shops around the UK were visited throughout January, with a further 35 stores participating in the promotion of Veganuary.
“A big Friendly Foods hug and thanks to all at Veganuary and One Planet Pizza for visiting us on the 2019 Road Trip. We’ve had great feedback on all the products from customers new and old. Great vegan products combined with great customer experience is what independent vegan shops are all about and we are very grateful for the support,” says – Scott Reid, manager of Friendly Foods, Wolverhampton.
“We always look forward to a visit from vegan brands and this was no exception! We had so much fun. My customers loved trying the samples and I sold out of pizza double quick too. It was great to support Veganuary and for them to show their support for independent vegan businesses is brilliant. Same time next year?” adds Nikki Chetwynd, owner of Green Unicorn, Coventry.
The Veganuary Road Trip helped facilitate important conversations regarding shopping locally, supporting independent businesses and making a connection within a community
By engaging with stores, the charity says it ‘enabled mutual and reciprocal discussions’ between pledgers, customers and store owners. “In this way, the Veganuary Road Trip helped facilitate important conversations regarding shopping locally, supporting independent businesses and making a connection within a community,” it says in a statement. “Veganuary also showcased the best of our vegan brand partners, whose free samples acted as a delicious way to start an important dialogue between shoppers and owners, and excite new Veganuary pledgers with their plant-based delights.”
Joe Hill, co-director of One Planet Pizza, personally documented the tour. “It was incredibly heart-warming to see everyone coming together over food and drink. As the landscape of modern society is changing and people are becoming less physically connected, this felt more important and exciting than ever. I was lucky enough to see 16 passionate store owners across the country welcoming over 2,000 people through their doors to ultimately improve their lives through health and diet. This mutually beneficial relationship was evident to me at every stop; store owners care about their customers and their customers trust and value them back,” he comments.
