MAHA EL M'HASBI
Richard Massalley
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Gabriela Cuconato
Chris Laszlo
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Plum Market is a specialty grocery store located in Cleveland, Ohio, committed to sustainability. As a grocery store, its emphasis is to provide high-quality, organic, and locally sourced products. It caters to health-conscious consumers seeking a healthier lifestyle. Plum market prioritizes ethical sourcing and seeks to reduce its carbon footprint, which aligns with SDG 12, responsible consumption and production. As well as SDG 2 as it supports local farmers to get produce, which contributes to efforts to eradicate hunger and ensure that all have access to nutritious food. Lastly, SDG 13, as Plum Market focuses on local production and sourcing, which helps reduce gas emissions that would otherwise be associated with the transportation of products to the store.
Based in Michigan, Plum Market is a grocery store chain. Together with Bon Appétit Management Co., which is renowned for its commitment to sustainability, the Plum Market Kitchen was launched in 2021. Plum Market's primary business is purchasing from local suppliers; in particular, the meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables are all grown with the help of local compost. Their dedication ensures a high-quality product but also an effort to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation that would have otherwise been incurred if they imported their products from other states.
In addition, Plum Market is dedicated to serving and being involved in the community; the grocery store is a partner of Case Western Reserve University located in Cleveland, OH. Through this partnership, it provides job opportunities to students, supports fundraising events organized by campus groups, and makes donations to local organizations to further extend and solidify their connectedness to the University’s community.
Plum Market is also extremely successful in incorporating sustainability into their daily operations. The company has implemented a strong composting program, ensuring that no food is wasted and that everything is reused for future production. Their composting program reduces food waste and promotes circular economy principles. As another effort to reduce food waste, Plum Market engages in food recovery efforts, where they collaborate with local shelters to donate expired food to feed the homeless. Besides compost and food recovery, they are also committed to recycling and sorting trash in stores at all different locations.
Outside of the Plum Market Store in Cleveland
The inspiration behind Plum Market comes from a deeply rooted sense of community and ethical business practices. In our interview with Ariyon Sweet, the Chef Manager at Plum Market Kitchen Cleveland, she emphasized the importance of aligning business operations with the values of the organization. She shared: “Our inspiration comes from our dedication to the community and our desire to impact on the environment. We believe that by supporting local suppliers, we can not only provide our customers with the best products but also contribute to a healthier planet.”
Ariyon Sweet also highlighted the significance of engaging with the local community, especially through actions that address food insecurity throughout Cleveland. As a partner of Case Western Reserve University, they are actively involved with student organizations that work towards improving homelessness and access to food. Plum Market contributes to these organizations by providing support in fundraisers and donations of food and hygiene products.
Furthermore, she expressed personal devotion from the company in Cleveland to match and meet the standards of the ‘mother company’: “As a Michigan-based company, we face unique challenges in maintaining sustainability and standards while meeting regulatory requirements. However, we are dedicated to finding solutions that align with our brand and values to contribute to a better world for future generations.”
Overall, Plum Market's inspiration and dedication come from its core values of community, sustainability, equality, and social responsibility. All of these drive the company to make responsible decisions and operate in ways that have a positive impact on the community and the world.
By sourcing from the local suppliers of Cleveland, who use healthier options such as local composts for cultivating products, Plum Market, in the short term, contributes to the economic growth of these local suppliers, increasing their overall sales revenue. In the long term, this leads to an increase in the amount of local produce, an increase in the number of quality products, a positive impact on the overall health of consumers, better infrastructures, and, subsequently, the growth of the community. Furthermore, with the reduction in carbon emissions as mentioned above, Plum Market activities, if adopted on a larger scale, would enhance air quality, mitigate climate change, promote sustainable lifestyles, and so much more.
Plum Market’s involvement in the community has made a major impact on the campus community of Case Western Reserve University as well as Cleveland. Its involvement has contributed to the well-being of the students. By creating job opportunities, not only has the local organization eased the educational journey for these students but has also fostered a connection between the student body and the community at Plum, inspiring them to be committed to the community. In addition, the local organization’s continuous support of fundraising events and donations to organizations like homeless shelters has made a huge positive impact, making life easier for the less fortunate, this in the long term holds the potential to reduce theft and subsequently create an even easier life for everyone.
Finally, with the implementation of a strong composting program and incorporation of sustainability, Plum Market has contributed to waste reduction a reduction in the overall waste disposal costs, and an increase in soil health and agricultural benefits.
Plum Market’s creative strategy, which includes buying from local producers, taking part in fundraisers, managing waste sustainably using composting, and making donations has had a good effect on the company’s business in various ways. Firstly, the company lowers its production costs by purchasing from local suppliers because there are no additional expenses when compared to imports from more distant regions. Furthermore, this results in economic growth for the local community, leading to more job opportunities and building connections in the community. As a result of the economic growth, there is an increase in customers' commitment to Plum Market as well as an increase in their abilities to make purchases. This leads to an increase in revenue for the business.
Secondly, the business’s commitment to community service through fundraisers and its donations especially to areas like homeless shelters reflects a positive image on the brand of the business as a whole and this supports marketing. Even more, these innovations show Plum Market’s commitment to its social responsibility and this tends to attract customers and investors. This leads to increased income and customer loyalty. In addition, employees develop a feeling of purpose and pleasure in their work, which improves their general well-being and subsequently productivity.
Finally, encouraging environmentally friendly waste management techniques such as composting generates additional revenue for Plum Market since they can sell compost to local farmers. Additionally, because this innovation lessens the impact that waste has on the environment, Plum Market becomes exposed to more partnerships and attracts new investors in addition to an increase in publicity which creates a win-win situation for both the business and the environment.
Both the local environment and society of Cleveland especially are immensely impacted by the innovations taken by Plum Market. The company stimulates the economy by purchasing its products from local suppliers, subsequently resulting in the creation of jobs and community economic development. This leads to better living conditions for the residents of the local community and a decline in unemployment rates. Furthermore, purchasing produce from local suppliers correlates to fresher, healthier, and more sustainable goods. Encouraging customers and employees to lead better lifestyles.
By addressing social problems like poverty and homelessness, contributing and leading fundraising events as well as making direct donations to homeless shelters helps improve society. It highlights the business’ commitment to corporate social responsibilities and serves as inspiration for other companies to make similar positive contributions to the societal issues linked to the business area of operations. This will have a ripple effect, encouraging more organizations to take part in charitable endeavors and significantly contribute to society.
Finally, As a result of the promotion of environmentally friendly waste management techniques like composting, the general effect of corporate activities that negatively impact the environment is reduced. It decreases greenhouse gas emissions, reduces the amount of garbage generated and dumped in landfills every year, and protects natural resources. By implementing these environmentally friendly innovations, Plum Market serves as an example of a company that prioritizes environmental stewardship, becoming an inspiration for other companies in the same sector and even other sectors to also do these operations that will positively impact the environment, creating a more sustainable future.
All things considered, these innovations aid in fostering a healthier environment, inducing economic growth, and through an increase in sustainable actions, creating hope for a more sustainable future.
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Ariyon Sweet, Chef Manager
