VEDGEco: Hawaii’s ‘Vegan Costco’ Brings Plant-Based Bulk Groceries To Every U.S. State

VEDGEco, the world’s first 100% plant-based bulk wholesale shop known as the “Vegan Costco”, is operating nationwide in the U.S. this month. The company was founded in Hawaii last year, and stocks many of the popular plant-based brands including Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Tofurky, Lightlife, Daiya, JUST and Gardein. 

There’s a vegan version of the famous wholesale supermarket chain Costco. Called VEDGEco, the company was first launched by brothers Trevor and Tyler Hitch in Kailua, Hawaii last year. Now, after a year of success, it will be making its delivery services available to every U.S. state this August. 

VEDGEco stocks a range of bulk-sized plant-based products and brands, including plant-based meat alternatives, vegan sauces and dairy substitutes made by some of the most recognisable food techs – think Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Eat JUST, Daiya, Lightlife, Alpha Foods, Tofurky, Follow Your Heart, Field Roast and Gardein, just to name a few. After selecting their items via their website, customers can expect to receive their products within 1-2 business days. 

To launch nationwide, the company will use strategically located shipping facilities on the East Coast and the West Coast, enabling all orders to reach customers’ doors within the aforesaid time period.

The mission of the company is to help customers save as much as possible when they stock up on plant-based and vegan products, which can be pricey depending on individual retailers’ mark-ups and package size. 

“Our mission at VEDGEco is to make plant-based products more affordable and accessible for everyone across the United States, not just for restaurants and caterers, but for individuals and families to enjoy at home too,” said co-founder and CEO Trevor Hitch. 

“Buying plant-based foods in bulk will save our customers a great deal of money,” added Trevor, who says that the convenience of their delivery model will enable more American consumers to try a plant-based diet or at least reduce their conventional animal protein consumption. 

According to VEDGEco, each package is shipped in foam-free, recyclable and compostable materials in order to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and keep waste to a minimum. 

Our mission at VEDGEco is to make plant-based products more affordable and accessible for everyone across the United States, not just for restaurants and caterers, but for individuals and families to enjoy at home too.

Trevor Hitch, Co-Founder & CEO of VEDGEco

The expansion of the plant-based bulk food store’s operations is likely to be welcomed by American consumers, many of whom have been turning to plant-based alternatives in the past few weeks. The trend has been set off by a chain of events amid the coronavirus pandemic, especially in the U.S. where the worst slaughterhouse outbreaks have been recorded, raising alarm bells over the safety of meat and the industry’s vulnerable supply chain. 

Similar trends have been seen all over the world, with surveys conducted in the U.K. and Hong Kong both recording high levels of consumer interest and willingness to shift to plant-based meat alternatives as a result of the coronavirus, triggering what the United Nations has called the biggest global drop in meat consumption seen in decades.

Lead image courtesy of Gardein.