Weavers Way Co-op is celebrating the first anniversary of its Vendor Diversity Initiative, an initiative that assists local makers and artisans of color. The co-op has three locations including one in Ambler.
The initiative is geared to assisting vendors with growth and securing shelf space for their products within the Greater Philadelphia Area. Selected vendors may be eligible to receive assistance and support from Weavers Way to aid in getting their products ready for retail.
The first participating vendor, The Gourmet Sweet Potato Pies Factory, was a Philadelphia small business started by Alicia Short, a home-baker with a menu of over 35 different pie variations. In the last year the following vendors joined the program:
- Anita’s Bakery
- Birch Candles
- Càphê Roasters
- Candles by Vicky
- Chill Moody Kombucha
- Hanks Cinnamon Buns
- Majic Butters
- Mt. Airy Candles
- Peter’s Peppers
- Reveal
- Sequoya and Jaylin’s Gourmet Foods
- Will Smith Baked Goods
The initiative provides both access and resources to entrepreneurs such as coveted shelf space at all three Weavers Way Co-op locations and additional local area stores. Resources range from assisting with packaging, product development insofar as logistics, and ramping up production and operations to commercial level capacities. Thirteen vendors participated in the inaugural year.
“It is amazing to see how much this initiative has grown in the last year. This initiative has been our way to reinforce the co-op’s existing mission of supporting and celebrating diversity,” said Candy Hasan, Weavers Way’s Diversity Vendor Purchasing Assistant. “Helping business owners in our communities achieve their business goals and cliental is something we take pride in. Our hope is to continue growing this program in the next coming years and see other vendors open their doors to introducing programs like this.”
To learn more about becoming a vendor at Weavers Way Co-op, visit this link.