Ocado's decision to spotlight sustainable brands comes as B-Corp firm The Cheeky Panda announces it raised £1.2m of equity in one week on the Seedrs platform
Online supermarket Ocado has launched a dedicated shopping "aisle" for B-Corp certified brands that allows shoppers to browse a wide range of more sustainable products, it announced today.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Teapigs tea, Innocent smoothies, and plant-based drink from Alpro will be among the 1,100 products from 35 sustainable brands that are now grouped together in a dedicated 'B-Corp' aisle on the online supermarket's website.
Jo West, head of sustainability retail, said the launch of the virtual shelf spotlighting sustainable products was a "really positive step" that would help the firm, which delivers Marks and Spencers groceries around the UK, meet its goal of becoming a net zero company by 2040.
"We're delighted to be making greener choices easier for Ocado customers by gathering all these amazing brands that have made a commitment to building a more sustainable future, in one easy-to-find place," she said.
The online supermarket's decision to launch a dedicated virtual shelf for B-Corps comes exactly two years after supermarket Waitrose, Ocado's then-supply partner, trialed the concept on its website.
The move also follows the launch of a trial of electric and electric-assisted vehicles for Ocado's same-day delivery service in West London earlier this month in support of its climate goals.
In related news, bamboo loo roll company The Cheeky Panda, one of the brands set to be sold in Ocado's new aisle, announced earlier this week it had sold £1.2m of shares in just one week, after releasing £2m of equity on Seedrs' secondary market earlier this month.
Selling more equity on the online private investment platform had been designed to boost liquidity for The Cheeky Panda's founders and early angel investors, while providing an opportunity for new investors to buy shares in The Cheeky Panda without waiting for a new fundraising campaign, according to the update.
Chris Forbes, co-founder of The Cheeky Founder, said investor appetite in the five-year old firm "had never been higher", amid surging demand for shares in B-Corps and sustainable consumer brands.
"Our business has gone from strength to strength in the last 12 months," he said. "We now have thousands of five-star reviews and new products and market launches across Europe, USA and China [but] we have achieved only a fraction of our potential," he said. "With the demand of shares in B Corps and ethical high-growth businesses with ESG at its core, investor appetite in our business has never been higher. By releasing some equity now, we and a few of our angels don't have to wait another few years for an initial public offering to benefit from the high growth curve."
The Cheeky Panda has become the first pure secondary share sale campaign to be listed on the Seedrs platform following the equity release, an achievement Forbes claimed would pave the way for other start-ups to bolster liquidity ahead of going public or securing a private equity deal.
"It will open up the opportunity for other entrepreneurs in high demand high growth businesses to get liquidity ahead of gong public or a private equity deal," he said. "To sell over £1.2m in just over a week shows the product works and the demand is there for trading in private market shares."
Jeff Kelinsky, CEO at Seedrs, said the private investment platform's secondary market offered a new pathway for businesses looking to scale rapidly. "We aim to become the largest and most trusted marketplace for private equity investment providing alternative paths for investment to the typical VC-Exit cycle," he said. "Our secondary market delivers liquidity to a previously highly illiquid asset class and is ideal for growth businesses, like The Cheeky Panda, that are balancing the capitalisation table and seeing investors looking to recognise success, shore up liquidity and exit early."