When did you start buyVerde?
There has been rising concern about how to support various environmental and social causes. What you choose to support is so personal – whether it’s supporting underrepresented founders, making sure what you’re putting on your body is clean, tackling the waste problem in the cosmetic industry or shopping products made in the USA. In my sustainability journey I’m not striving for perfection, nor do I want to replace all my favorite products that I already use! But the one thing we all want is a high-quality product at the best price, and I also want to feel good knowing that I supported a brand or a cause I believe in.
How did you come up with the idea?
During COVID, thousands of small businesses launched an online store. But how are we supposed to discover those brands? It’s time consuming and expensive to figure out what’s out there and what information is reliable. We realized this has got to be easier. I just want to find products from small, responsible businesses when I need it. And the answer isn’t launching another retailer that tells you what to buy or believe in – that already exists. We want something easy in every way – easy search, personalized choices, transparent information and simple checkout.
Describe what the company is.
We built buyVerde to make it easy to search for and find products from businesses who care about driving social or environmental change. Brands have personalized values just like consumers – we want to bring those two parties together in a new way. If you’re searching for any product – household cleaners, baby care, personal care, cruelty free beauty, pet products – results will show you many options, all from mission-driven brands. You can filter by the values you care about most, or filter by price. Most importantly, we are giving you a way to compare products across brand websites and mega-retailers. This means three things for you as a customer: you can discover new brands that you wouldn’t find in a retailer; we’re giving you more options at every price point – and debunking the myth that “shopping your values” is only for those that can pay more; and if the same product is sold on Amazon and from the small business – you decide where to purchase the item.
Tell us something unique about buyVerde.
We view everyday purchases as the fourth leg of financial health: you can invest responsibly, donate your time, and donate your money. But you can also make a small impact every day. Just directing 10% of your monthly wallet to small, responsible businesses can lead to the creation of millions of new jobs. But this isn’t a luxury nor should you have to pay a premium to do so! You should be able to find those products at any price and the best price, which is what we are here to do for you. Together we can create change – and I’m excited to understand the impact we can make together. In today’s world that’s filled with expensive spending on digital advertising, we want to go back to the basics.
What differentiates buyVerde?
Our mantra for both the consumer and small business is, “You do you” – we’re just here to make it easier. Searching across retailers seems like a small thing, but it’s incredibly powerful. We can do this because we are a technology company – we don’t carry inventory, we don’t do logistics and shipping – so we have the flexibility to support newer and smaller brands in a way that regular retailers can’t.
Looking to shop local on buyVerde? We are proud to include several companies with ties to Greenwich on our site including Timo + Violet, Juliet Wines, sk*p, Everybody Water, Dore and Bette Green.
