Is Ocado’s ‘female founders’ aisle positive discrimination?

A decision this week by Ocado Retail to create a dedicated aisle for female-founded brands has proved a divisive one.

Launched on Monday in collaboration with campaign group Buy Women Built, the new aisle on Ocado’s website features more than 1,000 products from 130 female-founded brands, including the likes of Pip & Nut, Hunter & Gather and Bold Bean Co.

The aisle – the first in a major supermarket – has been designed to shine a spotlight on the stories of female founders in fmcg, and appeal to a growing number of shoppers that, research shows, actively seek out female-founded businesses in a bid to improve diversity.

But the concept has faced backlash, accused by some of being exclusionary, unnecessary and even “condescending”.

Among those unconvinced by the venture is Grenade co-founder Juliet Barratt. “I’m actually quite shocked to read about Ocado launching an aisle for female-founded brands,” Barratt wrote on LinkedIn.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive supporter of female founders and am one, but I’m also a massive supporter of male-founded brands, husband and wife-founded brands, family-founded brands. In fact, anyone who got off their a** to start a business.”

Speaking to The Grocer, Barratt adds: “I just wonder how it would feel if you were a male founder seeing all these extra opportunities for people who have done the same thing as you, but happen to be female.

“Every founder has their challenges. It’s a really, really tough journey, and I just feel that a better use of space in store would have been ‘find out about the founder’ or ‘British brands with founder stories.’ It needs to be a wider initiative.”

Industry consultant Laura Perkes is not surprised the move has fallen flat within the female founder community: “I can understand the intention behind Ocado’s decision to showcase all the brands that have been created by women, but it comes across as condescending.

“Female founders are founders who happen to be women. They’re not looking for special praise or a pat on the back. They want to make a difference in the world, creating products that are useful, have a purpose and can change lives.”

Promoting diversity

But there are plenty who support Ocado’s move, who cite the positive impact of raising the visibility of female founders on the next generation of entrepreneurs, among other benefits.

“I don’t see it so much as a revenue-driving move,” says Amy Moring, co-founder and CEO at Hunter & Gather. “It’s more of a support network, a way to promote diversity. There is a huge opportunity for younger females to see this and to normalise the fact that female founders are creating brands.”

The stats on awareness of female founders are concerning: according to a 2019 Santander poll, 81% of 11 to 18-year-olds were unable to name one single female entrepreneur.

Ocado’s new aisle is a “landmark” moment, says Amisha Mody, head of partnerships at Buy Women Built. It can act as a “flag to people that these brands are female-built, [which is] important because we just don’t have enough women in this sector”.

“Once we become more aware of existing female founders, we’re likely to drive a new generation to fill that gap.”

It’s also “really important we recognise customers are looking for diversity and stories behind the brands they shop”.

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Half (51%) would shop more female-founded brands if they were clearly signposted, found a poll by Ocado Retail and Savanta. “So, there’s a great commercial reason for connecting them to existing brands,” Mody adds.

“We’re 30% behind other developed countries in terms of our female entrepreneurship rates, it’s a massive red flag that we simply don’t have enough.”

“If women can get up to parity with men, it would add an extra £200bn to the UK economy. And unless we specifically create pathways and showcases and platforms where we can show off their skills, passion and tenacity, we won’t change those stats.

“It’s not excluding men. Men are so important to the conversation. This isn’t women for women. This is everyone shopping with purpose.”