The event is due to take place at the Natural Products Scandinavia trade show in Malmö Sweden, 14-15 November.
It takes the format of a ‘live innovation pitch’, which the retailer has run successfully on an annual basis in London at the Natural & Organic Products Europe.
The pitching event has proved successful, according to show organisers, and as a result the same format is now open to companies currently booked to exhibit at Natural Products Scandinavia and the Nordic Organic Food Fair – the Nordic region’s biggest trade shows for natural and organic.
How does the pitching event work?
In order to win, competing exhibitors will be invited to ‘pitch’ their new products or product innovations to Holland & Barrett Sweden’s senior buying team, including CEO Rikard Furusten and Sunniva Åhlstad, category manager.
They will also have to win over a theatre audience full of visiting buyers and retailers in the process, as their votes may help swing the judges’ decision.
Holland & Barrett say the appeal of such an event for the retailer is in the potential to discover as yet unknown products and brands in the naturals and organics space.
“I’m looking forward to finding and exploring new, innovative and interesting products that can help people to easily choose a healthier lifestyle; preferably products that are unique in our field,” says the company’s category manager, Sunniva Åhlstad.
Spotlight: what is Holland & Barrett?
Holland & Barrett have 1368 stores in 16 different countries around the world.
Its rapid international expansion has been achieved through a combination of franchising and merging of stores, which included the acquisition of Hälsa för alla, in 2017, a Swedish specialist natural health and wellbeing retailer with 12 outlets across Stockholm.
With 18 stores now in Sweden, Holland & Barrett is continuing to grow its prominence in the Nordic region.
