Blogs

As indie retailers, mission-driven brands are near and dear to our hearts. These brands might be family-owned with a recognizable name at their helm ("Oh, I met her at Expo the year they launched!" or "He used to do trainings at my store!"); They may have achieved B-Corp status; They may go the extra mile to source the cleanest, most efficacious ingredients. These are the brands whose stories we love to share with our customers. So often, INFRA member stores are the first to support new brands through their growing pains because we believe in what they do.

As these brands scale, they can choose varying paths to grow and make their products available to more consumers. And while we are champions of the niche, indie brand, how can we expect organic or fair trade or regenerative to have a growing impact if they don't expand their reach? Shouldn’t it be our goal to see those products thrive across all channels, if it means more acreage devoted to "clean" food, fewer farm workers exposed to harsh pesticides and herbicides, more families able to feed their kids toxin-free food, more trustworthy supplements on the market?  

Let’s take a few minutes to celebrate some of the brands that have made a point to support INFRA members as they’ve grown, and who make it easy to get excited about the work we do every day!

Innovation in Sustainability

The natural wellness/natural foods industry has some of the most exciting innovations in the world of CPG, especially when it comes to sustainability.

• Patagonia Provisions has been a leader in sustainability by developing regenerative food practices that prioritize ecosystem health and biodiversity. They’ve innovated by sourcing regenerative organic ingredients, helping to restore soil, combat climate change, and preserve natural resources for future generations.

• Ancient Nutrition has pioneered regenerative work in the world of supplements, with the first Regenerative Organic Certified farms in both Tennessee and Missouri.

• Lundberg Family Farms was founded on the principle of “leaving the land better than you found it,” which has guided its growth as a leader in organic farming and sustainability practices. They have partnered with TerraCycle for recyclable packaging and encourage bulk purchases to minimize packaging waste. In addition to developing more sustainable varieties of rice and rescuing duck eggs from their fields, Lundberg is actively involved with over 15 organizations promoting environmental stewardship and has been a TRUE Zero Waste Certified facility since 2016, diverting 99.6% of waste from landfills.

Legacy Brands

• Dr. Bronner's is a fantastic example of a legacy brand (over 100 years old!) that has gone to great lengths to improve the industry. They have pushed for USDA certifications for body care, offer 100% free health care for employees, and even press for cannabis legalization, legal system reform, and prison reform. 

•  Badger is another shining example of an earth- and employee-centric company. They offer a Babies at Work program, they're B-Corp Certified, and still family- and women-owned. In fact, they've won a Best for the World award from B-Corp, and a Best Place for Working Parents award in New Hampshire where they're based.

Tenacious Founders and Leaders

 Our industry has some of the most passionate, mission-driven founders around; people who do good, and then do good again. 

• Olowo-n'djo Tchala comes immediately to mind. After founding Alaffia in 2003, he's moving on to launch a new brand, Ayeya, this winter. While working towards his unwavering goal of supporting women and families in West Africa, he realized that he needed to create a new brand to keep several of the cooperatives running, so he created a fresh line of body care, cleaning, and baskets.

• Seth Goldman is another example of a guy with a passion. When he heard that Coca-Cola was shutting down Honest Tea, a brand he'd co-founded, he jumped into action to preserve jobs and income for the massive international network of organic and fair-trade ingredient suppliers that Honest had supported. His new line, Just Ice Tea, was co-founded with Spike Mendelsohn - the two also co-founded Eat the Change. 

Cheerleaders for independents

• Organic Valley Cooperative goes way back with their support of independents. In fact, they provided seed money at INFRA's inception and continue to support our indie members with regular promotions.

• Nixie, founded by Nicole Dawes, has always been a strong advocate for independent retailers, recognizing their vital role in the market. As the first certified organic sparkling water, Nixie launched during the pandemic and quickly garnered support from INFRA retailers. With the recent introduction of organic sodas, Nixie continues to innovate while maintaining its commitment to independent retailers. 

• Natural Factors has been a solid supporter of the independent retailer since their inception. Still family-owned, they manufacture to meet rigorous Australian and Canadian standards and their ISURA testing goes far beyond the standard requirements to test their products for identity, purity, and potency to provide independent retailers with trusted products of the highest quality.

These are just a handful of the hundreds of brands that choose, year after year, to support you and your customers by working with INFRA. They provide quality products, excellent promotions and education, and prioritize their own employees and the health of our planet. So, when if you ever feel down about the state of the world, take a minute to appreciate how lucky we are to be in an industry that continues to inspire on so many levels, and in so many meaningful ways!

#INFRARetailerBlog