Why you’ll pay more for B Corp (and it’s worth it)

This B Corp Month is a chance to celebrate the business-for-good movement we’re proud to have joined back in 2021. We’re prouder still to showcase fellow B Corps within our marketplace of purpose-driven products – from Summerdown’s sustainable peppermint chocolate and teas, to Ocean Bottle’s brandable plastic-fighting water bottles. 

As you can tell, we’re proper B Corp stans. But we understand why one perceived barrier stops some people buying certified products: the price. 

It’s true you might have to part with some extra cash for B Corp. But consider the payback – that is, the benefits for your business, not to mention people and planet – and it becomes clear that doing so is a valuable investment, not a luxury expense. 

Take five to mull over these points that prove partnering with B Corps is always worth it and see if you agree… 

The price gap isn’t so big

To start, let’s clear up a misconception. 

The price of sustainable products, like those from social enterprises and B Corps, is not that much higher than the less thoughtfully made alternatives out there. 

In fact, 75% of corporate partners in the latest Buy Social Corporate Challenge impact report said they find social enterprises to be cost neutral or cheaper when compared with other suppliers. 

And for that similar or slightly premium price, you get so many benefits in return. To name a handful: quality, longevity, green materials or non-toxic ingredients, assurance of an ethical supply chain, better design for disposal phase. It’s no surprise 95% of those Buy Social Corporate Challenge partners also reported comparable or higher quality from social enterprises. 

Responsibly made products also come with an extra layer of brand benefits, as we dive into below. Take all these into account and that additional investment becomes easy to justify.

Sourcing from B Corps is a timesaver 

When you’re striving to make more conscious buying decisions, it can be hard to tell real, credible ESG talk from slick greenwash. 

Team members responsible for procurement might find themselves falling deep into research rabbit holes, to fact-check suppliers on their promises. It’s tedious sleuth work that eats up time and resources. 

B Corp certification is one way to take out the guesswork. These businesses have proved that they are meeting rigorous standards of transparency and accountability. They even have to change their articles of association, meaning they’re legally committed to business for good. 

You may have seen questions raised around bigger corporations achieving B Corp status lately. It’s something that’s exposed gaps in the framework, but B Lab (the body behind B Corp) is tackling this with changes in standards said to be on the cards.

Our own verification process with partners like Social Enterprise UK and Good Market, as well as our focus on the tangible impact of every purchase, gives you extra confidence in the certified brands in our marketplace and their commitment to responsible business. 

Just think, if you save your team from playing detective, what could they do with the time instead? 

B Corp partnerships payback in employee engagement

Research shows B Corps are acing employee engagement. Employees report being prouder of working for their company compared to the average citizen, for instance, and trust their ESG claims are genuine. From the other side, B Corp founders say certification helps them build an inspiring team culture. 

Employees crave this kind of meaningful alignment with their values at work. A recent KPMG study even found that one in five participants had turned down a job offer because a company’s ESG commitments weren’t up to scratch, showing how important this is for attracting and retaining talent. 

More broadly, a massive 72% of the UK public believe business should have a legal responsibility to people and the planet, alongside maximising profit. There’s a definite appetite for the values B Corps represent. 

The good news is you don’t have to become a B Corp to instil a similar sense of purpose and connection in your team (though we do recommend it!). If certification isn’t right for you at this point or you’re still working through the application, take advantage of the power of association instead. 

Putting money behind B Corp partners sends a strong message to your team: you’re serious about making value-led decisions and supporting business for good. It could be an impactful part of your employee engagement strategy. 

B Corp branded merch elevates your reputation

Lots of businesses fall into two camps of thinking when it comes to branded merch. Either they think it’s outdated and not worth the investment, or they prioritise volume over quality when choosing products. 

Our deep dive into the value of branded merchandise sets out why both these approaches are flawed. Promotional products can be an outstanding way to increase brand loyalty. It just takes thoughtful and impactful execution. 

People don’t like cheap, poor-quality branded merch. But they do love useful, well-made products that reflect their values. Like those from Madlug, whose bags donate another to a child in care, or Elvis & Kresse whose upcycled fire hose notebooks make a sustainable statement when jotting down meeting notes.

Choosing these kinds of B Corp gifts sets you apart from competitors, those who are either sticking to the cheap, not-so-cheerful strategy or bypassing branded merch altogether. 

Just check out the reaction our client The Crown Estate got when they made the swap to purpose-led merch: “Attendees were delighted that we had created merch with a purpose, going above and beyond to not only produce beautiful products that were carbon neutral, but carbon positive, having positive impacts on nature and communities.”

Shopping B Corp is a vote for systemic change

Zoom out from the individual business case and a broader motivation for investing in B Corp products emerges. This is a chance to be part of an exciting shift, redefining the role of business in society for the better.

At the heart of creating this systemic change is removing the exploitation of people and planet from supply chains. And that costs more money than the business-as-usual methods of B Corp’s high street and conglomerate counterparts – from sourcing sustainable materials to paying fair wages. 

But is this actually expensive or have we, as this Sustainable Jungle article puts it, just “been spoon-fed a misleading narrative that the race to the bottom line is what’s best for us all?” For example, consider that a pot of moisturiser can take a thousand years to decompose and paying a little more for a refillable glass jar, like those in B Corp Upcircle Beauty’s range, seems indisputably fair.  

Likewise, when you hear of unethical, highly polluting brands like Shein paying garment workers as little as four cents per item, you better understand the value of putting your money behind responsible brands. We have to ask ourselves, who is losing out when it comes to low prices?

This is the kind of questioning, considerate mindset we need to reach that transformative vision of a more responsible and resilient economy, where good practices, fair wages and environmental stewardship are the norm. 

B Corps (and the wider social enterprise community) are leading the way. And every B Corp purchase makes you part of the journey. That’s something worth paying for, right?

If you feel inspired to invest in the world of B Corp, speak to us about where certified products could elevate your procurement strategy. Or dive straight in and start shopping our B Corp products now.