Online Grocery Retailer Spud commits to putting more women-led brands on shelves with the #HerFairShare Initiative

Spud will be opening 5 vendor spots to women-led brands starting March 5th to help women get #HerFairShare

VANCOUVER, BC, March 5, 2024 /CNW/ - While Canadian female-founded and led businesses have been on the rise over the past five years, female entrepreneurs still face barriers when trying to get their products onto shelves.

Creating spaces for new female-led brands on grocery shelves.

Online grocery retailer Spud takes pride in supporting women in business. However, they also recognize that there is always more we can do to promote equity for women. That's why, this International Women's Day, Spud is introducing #HerFairShare—a commitment
to getting more women-led brands on grocery shelves, starting at Spud.

With #HerFairShare, Spud aims to grow its selection of women-led brands from 20% to 25% by 2025. This initiative begins with Spud creating 5 new openings on its storefront exclusively for women-led brands, with applications opening on March 4th.

The grocery retail landscape presents a myriad of distinctive and challenging obstacles. In 2023, many large retailers began telling suppliers the cost of getting products on shelves would be rising to help fund improvements to the retailer, ultimately pushing the vendors to pay more for their spot. For female-led businesses trying to enter the market, this listing rate increase can discourage them from even attempting to break into the space.

Spud does not charge a listing fee for vendors to be stocked on their shelves, nor does it implement price change fees. These seemingly small practices can have a major impact on vendors who are entering the grocery industry or launching their business.

"At Spud, we've never charged listing fees as a means to provide easier entry for local and independent brands into the grocery space, removing barriers and jumpstarting their brands. It's a symbiotic relationship between Spud and startup brands; we offer a platform for their business growth while connecting local brands with compelling founder stories directly to our customers, who are passionate about supporting the local economy," said Bridget Westerholz, VP of Marketing at Spud.

"For small businesses, every dollar counts, and with slim profit margins, even a small loss can have a significant impact. That's why support from businesses like Spud, who not only provide another sales channel and marketing support but also waive costs like stocking fees, is invaluable," said Katie Ruddell, a Spud female vendor and Founder of Kokomo.

#HerFairShare aligns with Spud's long-term priority of enhancing visibility for women in the CPG and grocery category while fostering economic growth for female founders and the broader local economy. "#HerFairShare echoes our dedication to local communities by championing and empowering female vendors in our backyard. By prioritizing local purchases, we keep money within our local economies, diminish carbon emissions by reducing transportation needs, and give visibility to smaller brands that do not have the resources to enter large-chain grocers. There's so much power in buying local," said Bridget Westerholz.

"Spud was one of the first local retailers to say yes and offer Verily as an option for customers," said Karlene Karst, Founder of Verily Kitchen. "They were an excellent partner in the early stages, helping us get Verily off the ground. They've always been a supportive local partner. Locally-minded businesses must support each other because without local support, expanding into other markets becomes much more difficult as a brand founder."

To apply as a vendor under the #HerFairShare initiative or to help every woman in business get #HerFairShare visit Spud.ca/herfairshare. Spud is also making it easier to support and shop for women-led/founded brands with a curated page of Spud's women-led brands to shop from at Spud.ca.

About Spud:
Since its formation in 1998, Spud has provided families with healthy, locally sourced groceries, ordered online and sustainably delivered. We've grown to offer over 10,000 products to customers in Western Canada, obtaining B Corp certification and strengthening the communities we operate in. Find out more at spud.ca.

SOURCE Freshlocal Solutions Inc.

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