SAN FRANCISO — On a mission to make better-for-you, vegan and gluten-free sweet goods accessible to more consumers, superfood cookie producer Love + Chew is expanding its presence in Whole Foods stores nationwide.
The rollout includes the brand’s six cookie flavors: Banana Bread, Cherry Almond, Mocha Chip, Mint Cacao Brownie, Chocolate Chia and Peanut Butter Chip, a newer addition featuring Renewal Mill’s upcycled oat flour.
Founded by Lauren Chew in 2018, Love + Chew’s CPG journey gradually accelerated with its initial presence in Whole Foods Market stores, which began in 2019.
“Whole Foods’ velocity data was very helpful as I tried out different marketing campaigns before going national.” — Lauren Chew | founder and CEO | Love + Chew
The company launched in 40 stores with three SKUs in Northern California and added three regions a couple of years later. Now, it’s ready to go national.
“Because I’ve bootstrapped the business since day one, I was looking to grow with Whole Foods Market, so that’s why we started small,” Chew said. “It was important for me to understand what type of marketing strategy worked within this particular retailer, and Whole Foods’ velocity data was very helpful as I tried out different marketing campaigns before going national.”
Chew chose to not use a broker, which meant years of patience, relationship building and focusing on velocity vs. door count.
“It was atypical of what you normally see in the industry,” Chew explained. “But patience was key. The strategy fell in line with the way I’m running the business because I’m trying to grow Love + Chew sustainably and profitably.”
Aside from its expanded presence in Whole Foods Market locations, Love + Chew’s cookie lineup is available for purchase in Sprout’s stores, on the brand’s website and on Amazon.
