Whole Foods Market UK seeks start-up brands for store shelves
Whole Foods Market (UK) will be giving start-up and challenger brands more chances to be stocked on its shelves, with four opportunities to pitch to its buying team each year.
The retailer said it will be asking new food and wellness brands to submit their products for a chance to meet the buyers at a pitch day each quarter.
Subscribe to TRBWhile the retailer is looking for specific brands and products and will advise what these are, it said it will also include brands that are completely new to the UK market and not stocked in other larger retailers, although they could already be stocked in Whole Foods Market stores in its home market of the US.
It added that it will favour local brands and suppliers who produce in London or England.
The company said: “We’ll be looking for inspiration products across all our departments including grocery, wellness & beauty, beers, wines, spirits, cheese, charcuterie, deli, prepared foods, bakery, produce, meat and seafood.”
Held at Whole Foods Market’s central London office, the pitch days will take the form of a full day of speed-dating type pitches, where potential suppliers will have 15 minutes to sell their product and answer questions.
Successful companies will then go through to the next round which will determine if they can make it onto Wholefoods Market shelves in 2026. Fourth quarter applications now open with brands being asked to complete an online form.
