HISBE More Than A Shop

A HISBE Store is a place where values matter, and every purchase makes a difference. We redefine what it means to shop for food and turn your transactions into tangible change, for a fairer, more sustainable food system. 

HISBE is powered and fuelled by our customers and supporters. When you spend money at HISBE instead of at one of the big supermarkets, you enable us to leverage positive impacts well beyond the walls of our stores. 

When you support us, we deliver back to local people, build local supply chains, and put more money directly into the local economy. Things that purposefully impact the communities we serve, things that those big supermarkets would never use your money for.

What’s Going On For Us

These last three years have been tough, on all of us. HISBE has been in survival mode - and we are so grateful to all our customers and supporters for sticking with us. HISBE simply wouldn’t still be here without you.

Running any small business at the moment is extra challenging, with rising costs and customers watching their pennies. But it's even more of a balancing act for HISBE, as a social enterprise. It costs us extra to follow our values and do the right thing, whilst still keeping prices affordable for our shoppers. 

Thankfully we are now seeing the shoots of recovery in both stores, but we also need to raise funding to keep going and return HISBE to expansion-readiness. Our goal is to build a network of stores in Sussex - and we’re in talks with Lewes Council about bringing HISBE store #3 to Lewes High Street in 2024.

How You Can Help

Please shop at HISBE, contribute to this crowdfunder and tell your friends and contacts and networks to do the same! We’re offering some great incentives for contributions to the crowdfunder - or you can simply donate. 

There’s a lot to feel good about when you support our small but mighty shops, like:

FAIRNESS. HISBE is a social enterprise and most of the money that comes through our tills gets passed back to our suppliers. When you spend £1 at HISBE, the suppliers get £67p. However, with a big supermarket, they get 9-10p and supermarkets take up to 90 days to pay them.

REALNESS. HISBE is run by a bunch of real people, not by a corporate board, distant shareholders or algorithms! We care about our community and good food. Your money helps local people pay their bills and support their families and we appreciate it every time you walk in the door.

QUALITY. The food at HISBE is better quality than your everyday supermarket’s brands. And you’ll find special products and a huge range of packaging-free stuff that you can’t get there too. The Ethical Consumer Organisation ranks HISBE the no 2 supermarket in UK for a reason.

LOCAL ECONOMY. When you spend £1 at HISBE, we spend 57p in Sussex, on local staff, suppliers and services (big supermarkets keep 5p local). That’s almost £8 million over ten years. Our staff get the Real Living Wage (and proper contracts) and had a 10% cost of living pay-rise last year.

ENVIRONMENT. Every day HISBE prevents cardboard and plastic from making its way into landfill and the sea by offering packaging-free options in fruit & veg - and hundreds of other goods, from rice to shampoo. And by prioritising local suppliers, we’re reducing food miles and fuel costs too. 

CONNECTION. HISBE is active within the ‘good food movement’ in Sussex. We get involved with food policy, support local food charities, talk at universities and help other food entrepreneurs build their businesses. It’s about connecting up good people doing good things.

COMMUNITY. HISBE shoppers keep our staff and suppliers going and the good food flowing! Every time you interact with our staff – and our suppliers at ‘meet the maker’ events – you’re building the good food community. And proving that a better type of supermarket is possible.

Amplifying Your Money

We will use the money we raise to support our suppliers and staff and refit the Brighton store - and we have a commitment from two organisations to match your contributions, so that every £1 you pledge can be worth up to £4 to the campaign.

We will pass back more cash to our local/independent suppliers; paying them faster than planned to relieve pressure on their businesses created by the pandemic, continuing economic downturn and price inflation. 

We will invest in more staff for our store teams: we have continued to pay the Real Living Wage, but have not always been unable to replace leavers, impacting operational capacity and stretching staff. 

And we’re planning exciting work to refresh our Brighton store, which is 10 years old this year: we will improve the fixtures, upgrade equipment, lighting, shelving and displays, and create space for new suppliers and products.

Aviva have teamed up with Crowdfunder to support selected charities and social enterprises through their Community Fund. They’re on a mission to build a brighter future and are supporting HISBE’s work because we promote healthy, thriving communities.

The Be The Earth Foundation will also match your contributions. When we reach £25k milestones, they will drop in £25k to match our efforts. Be The Earth is a UK based foundation that combines impact investing and philanthropy for a world that nurtures all beings. 

“When Be the Earth met HISBE a couple of years, we were immediately inspired by the HISBE story, the mission of the organisation, and the people executing it. There is so much passion and purpose behind it and the problem they are solving is something that affects everyone. HISBE has reimagined every aspect of a grocery store and takes every part of the complex supply chain that brings food from the land and eventually our mouths into consideration. Be the Earth believes that HISBE can make a real positive impact in the food space, and we are proud to support them in getting there.”