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This week we're doing something a little different. No interview from a brand this week. Instead, we sat down with Izzie Peskett, Head of Marketing at Whole Foods Market UK, one of the most exciting retailers in the country (especially right now 👀).
With new stores opening this year, their Pitch Days programme giving challenger brands a real shot at a listing, and real commitment to finding the best emerging brands out there.
If you're a challenger brand not yet in major retail, or you know one, this is for you!
Let's get into it 🤝
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Interview with Mighty Mouthcare: Toothpaste hasn't changed in decades. Last week caught up with Charlie Bowker, the founder redesigning it for people and the planet. 3 billion tubes hit landfill every year. Charlie thinks that's a solvable problem. Full newsletter here.
💡 Interview with Izzie Peskett, Head of Marketing @ Whole Foods Market
It is an incredibly exciting time for Whole Foods Market. Six new stores opening across London this year, Pitch Days actively seeking out the best challenger brands, and a team that genuinely cares about what ends up on their shelves. We are thrilled to be sitting down with Izzie to share what Whole Foods Market are building and how they continue to stay at the forefront of the industry.
If you're a challenger brand not yet in major retail, check out Pitch Days for your chance to get listed in Whole Foods Market.
What is your role at Whole Foods Market and what does it entail?
Izzie Peskett, Head of Marketing (UK) @ Whole Foods Market
I am the Head of Marketing for Whole Foods Market in the UK. My role focuses on making sure the customer is at the forefront of decisions we make and I work closely with Marketing and Purchasing Team to ensure we deliver our brand and product stories to our customers to prompt a visit to one of our 6 (soon to be 12!) stores in London. Part of my role is to support the buying team to find new brands and product innovation.
What is Pitch Days and why was it set up?
Our pitch days are a 1-day event where we offer very limited slots for brands/suppliers to come in and pitch their product to us face-to-face during a 15-minute sales pitch. It was set up to make sure smaller, challenger brands still had a chance to get in front of our buyers and potentially onto our shelves outside of our more regular range review process.
What kind of brands is Whole Foods Market looking for?
We have very few limitations for brands right now but are looking for product that is not stocked in any other major retailers in the UK currently. They can be offering direct-to-consumer, be local to the UK or based internationally but ideally need to be ready to make that next step in their growth plan in a retail environment.
What is the Whole Foods Market ethos when it comes to selecting brands?
As well as the above, we are looking for brands that adhere to our quality standards. We have rigorous standards when it comes to what products we select including prohibiting over 300 preservatives, flavours, colours, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food as well as 180+ ingredients banned for any of our health and beauty products. Brands can find guidance on this via our website.
What makes a standout brand when they're pitching?
Have a 30-second elevator pitch ready to go (and practise this!). It really sets the scene well and tells us who you and your product are quickly.
What advice would you give to aspiring brands who want to be stocked at Whole Foods Market?
From all the conversations I’ve had with brands over the years I would say there are two key areas to make sure you are focusing on for success: (1) Your distribution to market – make sure you’ve got your distribution path or plan confirmed. This is essential to go from DT2C to a retail environment and (2) Find and build a community in the sector. I’ve seen how beneficial it is for founders and start-up brands to have people in their network to seek guidance from, ask questions of and generally get some cheerleading from. Organisations like The Startup Slice and Buy Women Built are essential for people on this journey.
What are you waiting for…if you're a challenger brand not yet in major retail, check out Pitch Days for your chance to get listed in Whole Foods Market.
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