A good news story from Hisbee

Rebel Supermarket HISBE opened their Worthing store during the pandemic and it’s already generated over £300,000 for the local economy. So, as people emerge from Covid, HISBE calls for shoppers to ‘Go Back To Better’ and shop small, independent, and local. 

HISBE Food is a social enterprise supermarket with shops in Brighton and Worthing and a focus on local suppliers, packaging-free food, values-led brands, and sustainable shopping options. 

In January 2020 HISBE raised funds to open their store on Portland Road in Worthing town centre. The pandemic hit just weeks after signing the lease on the premises. But against all odds, the local supermarket still managed to open its Worthing store, in January 2021.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, customers in Worthing have spent over £600k at HISBE’s tills and HISBE has spent over half of that money on Sussex suppliers, staff, and services. For every £1 you spend at HISBE stores, they spend 57p in the local economy, whereas when you spend £1 at the big supermarkets, they spend only 5p in the local economy.

Shifting consumer habits are helping social enterprises like HISBE to expand in challenging times – with 60% of consumers reported to be making more environmentally friendly, sustainable, or ethical purchases since the start of the pandemic [source: Accenture survey.]

So now HISBE is asking Brighton and Worthing shoppers the question “Why go back to normal, when you can go back to better?” They want to inspire more people to rely less on the big supermarkets and to make sustainable swaps in their food shop, be it big or small. 

Ruth Anslow, HISBE co-founder, “We had such a struggle to get our Worthing store going given the circumstances, but the feedback from our customer survey makes it all worth it! People praised the produce, staff, and environment – and when we asked customers how likely they would be to recommend HISBE to others on a scale of 0-10, 830 out of 1267 respondents said 10. We invite everyone to visit our stores and experience first-hand the difference a local independent supermarket  can make.”  

Sample quotes from Worthing customers in the survey: –

“Brilliant, helpful, different kind of SUPERmarket.”

“A great unique local shop stocking high-quality local goods with a strong emphasis on higher welfare and environmentally friendly products with a range that you would struggle to find in any other shop.”

“If everyone shopped at wonderful independents like HISBE with plastic free loose fruit and veg, refill section and local/sustainable ethos we really would be doing something positive for the climate emergency – and great coffee and cakes too. I love HISBE.”

“A supermarket that actually cares – and sells great produce. It’s a little more expensive usually but it’s worth getting a little less because it’s better quality. It feels really nice and welcoming and modern in there too, a way nicer experience than normal shops.”

www.hisbe.co.uk