The major health and wellness retailer already stocks a wide range of vegan and vegetarian foods in its 800 UK and Irish stores, but has said it now wants to further expand its vegan offering into new categories like chilled & frozen, snacking, sports nutrition and on-the-go drinks.
The call comes just weeks after NutraIngredients reported that Holland & Barrett plans to open a fully vegan store. At the time the retail giant confirmed that launching a vegan-only store was something it has long considered.
“Currently we do not have a timescale as our store portfolio is changing quickly with larger and more modern stores opening across the UK,” a spokesperson exclusively told us at the time. “We are however confident of opening this type of format in the not too distant future and look forward to keeping the vegan community updated.”
Hunt for vegan products
The company now says it is looking for up to 500 more vegan product lines to be listed this year, as it seems plans move forward for the all-vegan concept.
“We’ve long been committed to a plant-based lifestyle even offering members of the Vegan Society a discount in store. And with the growing amount of vegans in the UK comes the need for an expanded range of great products for them to choose from,” commented Emma Cockerill, Holland & Barrett’s director of product development – adding that her team of buyers would welcome innovative suppliers.
“We know from our suppliers that vegan foods taste better than ever and are available in many more categories than just the chiller. Which is why we are open to working with brands of all sizes, from full distribution to online only, or listings in our bigger H&B More Stores,” she added.
According to the call, brands wishing to have their vegan products sold in Holland & Barrett should in the first instance email newbusiness@hollandandbarrett.com with a sales proposal and product information.