Holland & Barrett strike Provenance deal for green labelling

Health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett has announced a partnership with data platform Provenance. It will see new labels offering customers more information on the sustainability of products they are looking to buy.

The agreement will see Provenance-validated claims appear on labels across Holland & Barrett’s online channels in the UK and Ireland. The company aims to give its customers trustworthy information to help them make informed purchasing decisions.

The sustainable product labelling with include the sustainability credentials of Holland & Barrett’s own products and those of partners from brands including Weleda, Westlab, Pukka Herbs, Grass & Co, and Faith in Nature.

The Provenance data will include background information on things such as whether the packaging has been recycled and whether the product is vegan-friendly, supported by verification and evidence.

Guy Farmer, commercial trading director at Holland & Barrett, said, “We’re delighted to partner with Provenance to further meet the growing consumer demand for transparent sustainability claims.

“Our customers have always looked to us for natural, ethical, and sustainable products. This initiative reinforces our commitment to sustainability whilst also providing our suppliers with powerful tools to build trust and loyalty with our customers around the claims they are making.”

The labels will begin appearing on the Holland & Barrett website initially, with some in-store sustainable product labelling to appear from 2025.

Green claims

Leveraging Provenance’s data platform will also allow the retailer and its partners to meet the criteria for sustainability regulations set out in the UK’s Green Claims Code.

In a Google Cloud study last year, over 70% of executives said they believe that if investigated thoroughly, most organisations in their industry would be guilty of greenwashing, and almost 60% admitted to exaggerating their own sustainability activities.

Provenance aims to support businesses that want to be more transparent about their impact to reduce greenwashing. It supports more than 300 businesses, including Unilever, Estee Lauder, and Princes.

“Holland & Barrett’s commitment to transparency and sustainability is truly inspiring. Being one of the first high street retailers to integrate our platform, they set a powerful example for the retail industry. We are excited to help their brands communicate their sustainability journeys in a compliant, customer-friendly way, setting a new benchmark for the retail sector,” said Provenance founder Jessi Baker.

“In a market where products marketed as sustainable are growing 2.7x faster than the rest, this collaboration will empower brands stocked by Holland & Barrett to better meet consumer demand for transparent sustainability and reap the rewards.”