Thrive Market Unveils ‘2021 Impact Report’
Online retailer Thrive Market, which describes itself as a “health-first membership [organization] for conscious living,” has released its “2021 Impact Report,” an annual progress report detailing the mission-backed marketplace’s progress over the past year toward various five-year sustainability goals in its bid to become the world’s first climate-positive grocer.
In 2021, Los Angeles-based Thrive, a certified B Corporation since 2020, achieved the following:
- Carbon-negative by 2025: In 2021, the company measured and offset 100% of 2021 emissions, making it a carbon-neutral company; to reach its 2025 goal, Thrive is setting science-based reduction targets, will continue ground-only shipping and increase its investments in regenerative agriculture.
- Zero-waste certification in 2022: In 2021, the grocer made zero-waste practices official with TRUE certification from Washington, D.C.-based Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) in December for its Reno, Nev., and Batesville, Ind., warehouses.
- Plastic-neutral by 2023: In 2021, Thrive worked with Vancouver, British Columbia-based Plastic Bank to measure and offset all plastic associated with packaging for products made by the grocer; the business will focus on shipping next as it works toward the goal of plastic-neutral shipping materials in all member orders in 2023.
The report also mapped out the impact of the Thrive Gives initiative, which in 2021 donated $787,000 to those in need and more than 1.3 million memberships, all while raising more than $6 million on the path to $10 million in healthy grocery donations by 2025, coupled with ethical sourcing stories, including the addition of 105 regeneratively grown products to the company’s curated catalog.
“For us, it’s not just about the groceries we donate, the fair-trade products we
carry or the sustainability goals we’re working toward,” wrote Nick Green, Thrive’s CEO and co-founder, in a note to the 2021 report. “It’s about creating a fundamental shift toward conscious living — breaking down the barriers until what’s 'healthy' is also what’s affordable and accessible to all.”
Last year, Thrive was among Progressive Grocer’s inaugural Impact Award winners, in the food security/nutritional leadership category. More recently, the company earned top scores on the Retail Personalization Index for its sophisticated mobile app and email experiences using a data-driven personalization strategy that aims to enrich the entire customer experience.
