The As Nature Intended retail chain has been acquired by Planet Organic. The leading UK health and wellbeing retailer announced the takeover of As Nature Intended, the chain of seven London-based organic and natural food stores.
Planet Organic has targeted opening 10 new stores in the Greater London area within next five years. In 2019, Planet Organic opened a new store in Queen’s Park, North London, taking its shop count to eight. Now, with the purchase of As Nature Intended, Planet Organic increases its store count to become the largest specialist organic grocer chain in the UK.
Planet Organic was founded in 1995 and in 2018, Inverleith LLP became the majority shareholder to help expand the company’s growth. As Nature Intended was founded in 1999.
Planet Organic’s Chairman, Ben Thomson, commented: “This deal allows us to further the mission of Planet Organic to provide food and products that are healthy for our customers, as well as healthy for the planet. We share a similar outlook to As Nature Intended, a company which, like Planet Organic, promotes wellness with high environmental standards. Both organisations believe the future of High Street retailing is in providing experience-based shopping for the communities where we are located.
“In the longer term, this acquisition allows Planet Organic to grow quickly into locations we have already identified as ideal for our brand. With the addition of As Nature Intended stores, we will be the largest organic grocery chain in the UK with plans to grow further as the popularity of healthy foods continues.”
Planet Organic’s CEO, Peter Marsh, added: “Planet Organic is the original organic supermarket chain in the UK. Ours is the sort of shopping that is the future of the high street. We are looking forward to providing this Planet Organic approach into the newly acquired stores in new communities.”
And Caroline Gooding, As Nature Intended owner and CEO, who now steps down from her role, continued: “Planet Organic is an amazingly complementary business, operating similar stores in London, with limited overlap with our own premises, and most importantly pursuing a similar mission and sharing our core values.
“While I am naturally sad to have reached the end of this 20-year adventure, I firmly believe that stepping back now is in the best interests of the As Nature Intended business, my colleagues and our customers. I am confident that I am passing the company into highly capable and committed hands, and that its new owners will be able to make the most of the opportunities for what now becomes the biggest and best operator in this market.”
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