Posted on February 5, 2021
Greens Health Foods
Lifeplan’s Retailer of the Month – January 2021
Our first Retailer of the Month for 2021 is Greens Health Foods. Greens are an independent family-run health food store based in Leigh-On-Sea in Essex. We recently spoke to Annie, who is the daughter of owners Richard and Jane Green, and the third generation of the family to work in the shop.
The store was founded in 1963 by Richard’s father, Cress Green. It was originally not just a health food shop, but a chiropodist as well, which also sold everything needed for beer and wine-making. As time progressed, there was less interest in these areas and Cress began to specialise in health foods and supplements. In the early 1980s, the shop only carried a limited amount of stock, but business has been growing ever since. They now stock over 3000 products, including dried produce, herbal teas, natural body care, eco-household products, vitamins and many more.
Greens Health Foods pride themselves on delivering the best service and products to their customers, with staff undergoing regular training. They welcome a wide range of customers of all ages and offer a vast range of products to cater to all dietary requirements. Annie said, “We have a lot of regulars who we would now consider family friends.” Greens Health Foods offer a warm welcome to all their customers and provide a safe and friendly environment that customers continue to return to.
Over the past 10 months, Greens have worked hard to stay open to provide their customers with essential products. During the early stages of the pandemic, they set up on tables outside the store to allow for better social distancing and to make it as safe as possible for customers. They did not have to close their store but instead adapted to the situation, with the help of a brilliant and dedicated team of staff, and continued to provide excellent service.
We asked Annie what her thoughts were about the importance of vitamin and mineral supplements in people’s lives. Annie said, “I would say they are very important because they allow people to bridge the nutritional gap. With people living busy lives, it can be difficult to get everything you need every day.” Annie has noticed that over the past year people are taking more of an interest in their health, particularly when it comes to immune health. This has meant they are coming into the shop to ask questions and the team are working hard to share their knowledge, inform customers about the products they sell and give tailored advice for specific health concerns. This is another part of the fantastic dedication the team have to providing the best service to their customers.
We have had a fantastic relationship with Greens Health Foods, dating back more than 25 years. We think Greens have done a wonderful job in providing excellent service to their customers and a friendly and safe environment for people to shop. When asked how it felt to be our Retailer of the Month for January, Annie said, “It’s very nice and a big surprise!” We think they definitely deserve the recognition for all their hard work, especially throughout this difficult time, and we know they will continue to work hard moving forward.
