Ocado’s new ‘Buy Women Built’ section showcases over 1,000 products from female-led brands, aiming to boost visibility and sales for women entrepreneurs in the UK.
Ocado, the British online supermarket, has launched an innovative new section called ‘Buy Women Built’ on its platform. The initiative, which showcases products from female entrepreneurs, aims to bring greater visibility and sales to businesses led by women. This comes amidst broader efforts to encourage the growth of female entrepreneurship in the UK.
The ‘Buy Women Built’ section went live today, making over 1,000 products available to consumers via Ocado’s app, website, and an ‘Inspire Me’ tab. Featured within this section are 130 brands created by women, with some being introduced to Ocado for the first time. Notable names include Little Moons, known for their popular ice cream, and Pip & Nut, the renowned peanut butter brand. The selection also comprises emerging startups, like All Dressed Up, which specialises in sauces.
This pioneering campaign was spearheaded by Sahar Hashemi, founder of Coffee Republic. Hashemi successfully advocated for Ocado to support female-founded businesses through this initiative. She has emphasized that the campaign is about highlighting and signposting the successful ventures women have established, rather than patronising them. She referenced a sizable gap in female entrepreneurship rates in the UK, which reportedly lags 30% behind other developed nations. Hashemi believes initiatives like this can instil confidence in women to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, thereby inspiring future generations about the potential and power of female-led businesses.
Hannah Gibson, Ocado Retail’s Chief Executive, also shared insights with The Sunday Times about the intentions behind the campaign. She noted the disparity in the number of women entrepreneurs compared to men and expressed Ocado’s commitment to bolstering the community of female entrepreneurs.
This move by Ocado follows a recent trend in UK supermarkets, where campaigns have been launched to encourage consumers to support local products. The ‘Buy British’ initiative similarly sought to promote British-grown food through dedicated sections on various supermarket platforms.
Overall, Ocado’s ‘Buy Women Built’ presents an opportunity for consumers to explore products from female-led brands and potentially catalyses a shift towards more inclusive entrepreneurship in the industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services