UK 30% behind US in women-led business

Credit: Buy Women Built

International Women’s Day 2024 was marked at Whole Foods Market with a Buy Women Built window takeover, the exclusive five-week collaboration intending to highlight the many female-founded brands stocked within, ignite a new conscious shopping movement and inspire the next generation. 

All seven Whole Foods Market locations took part, with windows featuring pictures of the women behind the brands, and ‘female founder’ signage, shelf stickers and samples drawing shoppers’ attention to more than 40 brands inside – from Optibac, Cheeky Panda, Pip & Nut, Here We Flo and Unbeelievable Health to Boundless, Biotiful Gut Health, Beauty Kitchen, Bare Biology and Natracare.

Launched in 2022 as a ‘consumer call to arms’, the #StrongerTogether campaign was a ‘simple yet powerful and actionable’ message which co-founder Sahar Hashemi OBE viewed as ‘something we could all play our part in’. Her ‘why’ was simple: “In the UK we simply don’t have enough women starting businesses; we are 30% behind the USA, Canada and Netherlands. That means we are missing out on an extra £250 billion contribution female businesses can make to our economy.” 

Two participating female founders shared their support for the partnership on LinkedIn. 

“When you buy women-built, you … help the next generation dream bigger, and the bigger girls’ dreams, the stronger and fairer our economy will be,” commented Maxine Laceby, founder, Absolute Collagen. “In a world where most people can only name male entrepreneurs, this was a huge leap forwards,” added Amy Moring, co-founder and CEO, Hunter & Gather Foods.

“This collaboration forms part of our commitment to women built brands. We hope our customers enjoy learning a little more about the faces behind the brands we stock”

Whole Food Market UK

By Rosie Greenaway, editor