What is a B Corp?
Before delving into the details of the pop-up itself, it’s important to be aware of what exactly it is that makes B Corp a valuable presence in the sustainable space.
B Corp is a certification from B Lab, a nonprofit network focused on transforming the global economy for the better. The certification aims to recognise global leaders in this transformation; highlighting businesses that meet high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency.
From employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials, B Corp certified companies are proven to hold themselves to a high ethical standard, allowing them to grow trust with their communities, consumers and suppliers. This trust has also shown tangible business results, with B Corps seeing an average turnover growth of 26% compared to the UK national average of 5% between 2017 and 2020.
With today’s new conscious consumer, being good really does pay.
The Good News
With the highest density of B Corps, London was the obvious location for an experience concept like Good News.
Created as part of a month-long celebration of what it means to be ‘Behind the B‘, Good News opened its doors on the 1st of March 2022. Although nothing was for sale, it was encouraging to see that such a variety of brands live up to the B Corp standards.
Bringing together over 300 products from 100+ brands, Good News was as nonprofit as the network behind it. From the Healthy Nibbles‘ vending machine using social media in place of currency to free lottery cards with social impact prizes, the idea was clear – retail can be reinvented.
The first pop-up of its kind in the UK, sustainability and community were at the heart of the messaging from the moment you enter. Being so closely aligned to Aforza’s own core values (as evidenced by our company involvement with Keep Wales Tidy), I was curious to experience conscious consumerism for myself.
Developed in partnership with freuds, a B Corp certified global communications company, Good News was an exciting and innovative glimpse into the world of ethical buying.
Just as Aforza supports end to end retail execution, the pop-up was sustainably minded end to end. The store itself was built with up-cycled materials and all products went to The Felix Project, a London-based food redistribution charity, at its closure.
Good News not only functioned as a space to champion sustainability, but also played host to a variety of additional events. Many of which centred around provoking ethical discussion, including focusing on female founders for International Women’s Day.
As a space to broker these conversations, Good News was incredibly effective. B Lab UK’s Executive Director, Chris Turner, sums it up: “This project is doing a fantastic job of bringing our community together. We’re confident it will drive some great awareness with a wider audience too.”
