As a former business reporter and an entrepreneur, I felt like a kid in a candy store at Target’s recent Made to Matter event in San Francisco.
At the event, held above one of Target’s urban stores, executives and influencers from 17 leading natural, organic and sustainable brands introduced new exclusive products. These brands include Annie’s Homegrown, EVOL, Burt’s Bees, Clif Bar, Vita Coco, Yes To, Plum Organics and Method. And I had the honor of being a guest of SheaMoisture, one of the hottest companies in the natural, organic haircare space.
It was amazing to meet some of the people behind some of the brands that have created entirely new categories in the retail space. Who knew dish soap and shower cleaner could be cool until Method came on the scene. And Vita Coco has caused the entire beverage industry to take coconut water seriously. They have proven once again that David can be a formidable opponent to the Goliaths of the world.
One of the things I love about companies like these is that they remind me of our own industry, which was created by grass-roots companies – curly women creating hair products in their bathtubs and bloggers bringing the topic of natural hair to the forefront.
Kudos to Target for creating a platform for these innovative, entrepreneurial companies – they should be celebrated. In the process of creating a unique niche for itself in the competitive retail environment, Target has helped expose customers to some of the most interesting and exciting brands on the market.
You can learn more about the Target Made to Matter brands and the exclusive products here.
