Speciality-Food-Magazine-March-2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 39 eating is bad for them – even in the ranges that are branded as being better quality aren’t necessarily rich in nutritional benefit. Communication is vita As a values-driven retailer, which is what Planet Organic has always been, we are still leading with val- ues despite the added costs they bring to the business. Labour’s Budget and increased National Insurance payments are going to cost retailers thousands of pounds, but we’re not laying people off to cover that cost. We’re committed to our teams, and the service that we provide in our stores thanks to the number of teammembers we have. We’re being smart about trying to find that money somewhere else, and we’re not whacking prices up for our customers to make up for the costs resulting from the Budget like many retailers are. We never compromise on our values, and we define these in the yourself up to diseases. People don’t realise that your body is your greatest gift on Earth and you need to honour it. We’re not taught that, but people who buy fine foods, people who buy organic foods, people who are on the journey of health, understand the implication of that. What they’re investing in their health today is going to save them cost in pain, money and time as they get ill when they’re older. When it comes to the fine food consumer, I think there is generally a greater understanding of the bigger picture of value – a holistic view that incorporates their personal health as well as the health of the planet and the livelihoods of the people and land who produce the food they eat. Comparatively, when it comes to the general public who shop in supermarkets, they haven’t been educated at school or potentially at home, so they don’t know that a large percentage of what they’re business in three ways. One is product standard, which is sacred – that’s a non-negotiable. The second is aspirational values. We’d love to do everything perfectly but we can’t afford to do that, so there’s a constant tension between values and commerciality. Thirdly, we have an upward spiral of excellence in the direction of travel to be as environmentally-friendly as possible – for example, with all- green fridges and no plastic. Customers have to understand your mission and what it means for the business and for them, and then if those values are threatened by cost or you have to put prices up because of things going on in the marketplace, you need to have that dialogue with the customer. That communication creates trust, and you’re having that communication because you respect the customer and the farmer. Planet Organic is known for its level of service, and every member of our team is knowledgeable about what we do and can support customers on their journey. They understand our definition of value and can pass that on. It’s a huge part of who we are and what we do and always has been. We want Planet Organic to be a haven from the crazy, busy world outside. You can walk in, take a breath and find the answers that you seek. We say that if you have a question, nature has the answer. We curate those answers and we deliver them to you on the shelf floor. And to do that, you need a team who care and have time to talk to the customer. And actually, we say that we don’t sell, we serve. W hen Planet Organic opened in 1995, the term ‘conscious consumerism’ hadn’t been coined, and sustainability wasn’t really on the agenda. My goal was to create good business that does good for the individual, the community and the planet. What we realised at the beginning is if we were talking about people’s health and well-being, the well-being of their babies, children, families, that was interesting to them. But the talking about the environment was not a hook at all. Whereas according to a recent Mintel study, the number one consumer concern is plastic which is a question of environment and awareness. Awareness is the golden thread running through everything I do. Conscious consumerism is magic because it’s about having an awareness about what you’re buying, why, and the impact that it has on a myriad of different strands. In consumerism, awareness enables choice. As well as looking for products which fit in with our definition of conscious consumerism the Planet Organic team look for organic, but I think producers are making a choice between the two to avoid putting the price up for consumers, which is a pity. Organic food is more expensive because it’s better for you and the planet, and better quality overall. That costs, as do all environmentally-led decisions. Sometimes we find there’s a product that we really want that has incredible environmental credentials, but it’s not organic. Today, you can think about the impact of what you’re buying choices you’re making in terms of farming, agriculture, chemicals, plastics. At Planet Organic, I believe we have the highest product standard in the country – suppliers have to jump through hoops to get stocked. Price versus value When Planet Organic first opened, the press really attacked us on price. My answer was always that quality costs more money. When it’s clothing, cars or technology people recognise that, but not when it comes to food. We spend less of our income on food than ever before, and more on technology and leisure, so it all comes down to choices. When we talk about price, I think about value. Organic food has a value to your health. The body is incredible at healing itself so you can eat badly for decades and still feel pretty good, but once you hit your later years you have opened Conscious consumerism is magic because it’s about having an awareness about what you’re buying, why, and the impact that it has on amyriad of different strands “We don’t sell, we serve” As a pioneer of conscious consumerism and founder of Planet Organic, Renée Elliott understands first-hand the tension between values and commerciality