How B2B eCommerce store Vegetarian Express Drives Success by Serving Sustainability with Jane Firth (episode 534)
Jane Firth is the Sustainability Manager at Vegetarian Express. A B Corp with a Shopify B2B eCommerce store selling the largest range of plant-based ingredients for foodservice in the UK. Trusted by thousands of chefs and caterers, they have been in business since 1987 and sell over 1,200 products. They now do £23million in sales each year, of which £1.2million is transactions via eCommerce and other online ordering platforms.
Listen now for free:
Subscribe on your Favourite Podcast App
Dive in:
[04:01] Unexpected career pathways.
[07:26] B Corp planning and priorities.
[12:35] “Seed Bank: Empowering Vegan Cooking”
[14:15] Focusing sustainability efforts in B Corps.
[19:47] Double materiality: cost and risk analysis.
[23:33] “Embracing Business Sustainability Strategies”
[26:01] Listen to Jane’s Top Tips!
Sustainability Should Be Part of Business Strategy
Businesses must embed sustainability into their core strategy. It shouldn’t be just about planting trees or donating to charities. True sustainability impacts every decision. This means balancing profit with social and environmental responsibility. A sustainable company looks at long-term impact, not just short-term profits. This mindset helps companies stay relevant and resilient in a changing world.
Certifications and Benchmarks Provide Direction
B Corp, EcoVadis, and Future-Fit offer clear ways to measure sustainability. These tools help businesses identify strengths and areas for improvement. External certifications also build trust with customers and partners. Using a structured framework makes sustainability efforts more effective. It ensures companies take meaningful action instead of random green initiatives.
Education Empowers Sustainable Choices
Offer resources and support to help customers make sustainable decisions. For example, recipes and impact data educate chefs. This encourages a shift towards plant-based options. Making it easy for customers leads to real change.
Sustainability Can Lead to Cost Savings
Reducing waste, using energy-efficient solutions, and securing ethical supply chains can cut costs. Sustainable practices often lead to long-term financial benefits. For example, lowering carbon emissions can also lower energy bills. Businesses should consider both immediate savings and future risks. Investing in sustainability now can prevent expensive problems later.
Listening to Stakeholders Strengthens Impact
Don’t just look inward for sustainability. Think about your suppliers, customers, and communities too. A double materiality assessment gives you the full picture. It ensures your actions have real impact. Involving everyone leads to lasting change. Make sustainability a conversation, not just a box to tick.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Focus on having a clear purpose and serving your customers accordingly. If you align your business with the right “why” and offer a great product, the right people will find you.
Tool Top Tip
- Jane tip isn’t a physical tool but a way of working. Create a culture of trust, respect, and psychological safety. When teams feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas kindly, and support each other without ego or office politics, everyone thrives and success follows.
Carbon Top Tip
- Build a business proposition that helps customers reduce their own carbon footprint. Offer lower-carbon alternatives to drive meaningful impact while meeting customer demand for sustainability.
Interview links
Related Episodes
- Building Europe’s most Sustainable Product Marketplace with Veo’s Joe Darwen (episode 380)
- Navigating the B Corp Certification Journey for Sustainable Success with Sarah Whale, Profit Impact (episode 483)
- Flavers’ Journey from Dragons’ Den to Sustained Growth with Shabbir Mookhtiar (episode 499)
Without the sponsors the podcast wouldn’t be possible – please do check them out:
Have you yet downloaded our ebook?
To celebrate reaching Episode 500 we’ve created an EPIC eCommerce success-focused ebook.
Packed with FIVE HUNDRED Top Tips about how to make your eCommerce store more profitable.
Featuring the advice of many, many past guests, alongside industry experts and many from you – our listeners.
Chloe has checked every single tip, and organised the whole thing into sections for you.
Making is super easy to dip and dip out and take inspiration as and when you need it.
This ebook needs to be sat on your desktop – or (even…) printed and sat on your desk.
Download your free copy right now
Full transcript to read & download:
Like to be a guest? Apply Here‘