Alternative Stores
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNorth Shields, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Alternative Stores firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alternative Stores
- Legal name
- Alternative Stores
- Website
- https://alternativestores.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alternative Stores industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Vegan Grocery
- NAICS
- Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural Specialty Food Stores (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Keto, Allergy-Friendly) (CRAHAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Health Food & Supplement Stores (CRAHAEAC), Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM)
Keywords
Where Alternative Stores is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Shields
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Alternative Stores business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: One-time product purchases through their e-commerce platform. Individual items sold at various price points ranging from budget to premium.
- Subscriptions: Subscription products available for recurring orders, providing predictable recurring revenue from engaged customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Retail Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Alternative Stores product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alternative Stores operates a 100% vegan online superstore selling free-from, plant-based, and organic products across food, chilled, snacks, health & beauty, household, and pet categories. The company curates products from multiple vegan and cruelty-free brands (e.g., Sosmix, Naturli, Violife, Suma, Be At One) and delivers directly to homes, businesses, and outlets across the United Kingdom. It also offers a subscription service for recurring orders and a dedicated trade/catering bulk ordering section for commercial customers.
Product overview
Alternative Stores is a 100% vegan online supermarket offering free-from, plant-based, and organic products. The platform operates as a comprehensive e-commerce marketplace built on Shopify, featuring a wide range of product categories including Food (with subcategories like Baking, Biscuits & Cakes, Bread, Cereals, Desserts, Fruits & Vegetables, Gluten Free, Grains/Beans/Pulses, Herbs & Spices, Meat Alternatives, Milks/Creams, Nuts/Seeds, Pasta, Sauces, Soups, Tea/Coffee), Chilled products (Cheese Alternatives, Fish Alternatives, Tofu Products), Snacks (Chocolate, Crisps, Sweets), Health & Beauty (Cosmetics, Hair Care, Body Care), Household items, Pet products, Subscriptions, and Trade/Catering bulk ordering. Key product brands include Sosmix Protoveg (best-seller vegan sausage mix), Naturli (organic vegan butter alternatives), Marigold (nutritional yeast), Violife (vegan cheese alternatives), Suma (organic food products), and Be At One (vegan cosmetics). The store emphasizes free-from, organic, and niche vegan brands for both personal use and retail sale, with delivery to homes, businesses, and outlets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vegan Food & Grocery Products Ambient and pantry vegan grocery products including baking ingredients, biscuits and cakes, bread, crackers and rice cakes, cereals and flakes, desserts and jelly, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free items, grains/beans/pulses, herbs and spices, low protein/PKU items, meat alternatives, milks/creams/custard, nuts/seeds/dried fruit, oils/vinegars/dressings, organic items, pasta/gnocchi/rice, powders and protein, ready meals, spreads/dips/mayonnaise, sauces/condiments/stocks, soft drinks/kombucha/kefir, soups and stews, sugars and syrups, tea/coffee/hot chocolate, and unchilled tofu. Available for home delivery across the UK.
- Chilled Vegan Products Refrigerated vegan product line including burgers and sausages, cheese alternatives (blocks, wedges, creamed, grated, slices, Tyne Chease), fruit and vegetables, fish alternatives, roasts/steaks/pieces, slices and rashers, spreads/butter/cream alternatives, and tofu products. Delivered via express chilled shipping.
- Vegan Snacks & Confectionery Vegan snack range including chocolate bars (small and large), chocolate covered goods, chocolate drops and buttons, chocolate gifts and boxes, crisps and snacks, fudge/toffee/Turkish delight, marshmallows and waggon wheels, snack and energy bars, sugar-free sweets, and sweets/jellies/liquorice/gum.
- Vegan Health & Beauty Products Cruelty-free and vegan health and beauty range including baby care, bath and shower, body care, cosmetics and perfume, eco living products, essential oils and flower water, face care, feminine care, hair care (shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, natural hair dye), men's care, natural deodorants, soap and handwash, sun care, tooth care, and vitamins and minerals.
- Vegan & Eco-Friendly Household Products Household cleaning and maintenance products including bathroom, dishwashing, eco living, floor and carpet cleaners, general household, handwash, kitchen, laundry and fabric, and wax melts/reed diffusers/candles.
- Vegan Pet Products Pet food and supplies suitable for vegan and cruelty-free households.
- Subscriptions Recurring subscription service enabling customers to schedule regular delivery of vegan and free-from products.
- Trade/Catering Bulk Orders Dedicated bulk ordering section for trade and catering businesses offering larger pack sizes suited to commercial food service, retail resale, and catering operations.
- No Bloat Bundle Builder Customizable bundle of gut-friendly vegan products with 21% savings, part of the No Bloat collection targeting low-FODMAP and digestive health needs.
- Be At One Cosmetics Vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics line including lipsticks, lip glosses, BB creams, concealers, and eyebrow pencils.
- Gift Vouchers AlternativeStores.com gift cards available for purchase, usable across the full product range.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 4563+ verified reviews
Companies that use Alternative Stores
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Alternative Stores technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Alternative Stores partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Alternative Stores competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Vegan Kind: UK-based online vegan retailer and subscription box company. Most directly comparable peer — also a pure-play 100% vegan e-commerce store serving UK consumers with curated plant-based products.
- Abel & Cole: Established UK organic grocery delivery service offering home delivery of organic, free-from, and specialty products. Comparable online grocery model with subscription and curated catalogue.
- The Cruelty Free Shop: UK-based online retailer selling exclusively vegan and cruelty-free products across food, beauty, and household. Closely overlaps with Alternative Stores' 100% vegan + beauty positioning.
- Good Club: UK online grocery retailer focused on plastic-free, sustainable, and ethically sourced products. Directly comparable online-only grocery model with health/eco positioning overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Planet Organic: UK organic and natural food retailer with both physical stores and online delivery. Larger incumbent offering comparable free-from, vegan, and organic categories with broader assortment.
- Holland & Barrett: UK's largest health food and wellness retailer with extensive vegan, free-from, supplements, and health & beauty ranges. A scaled incumbent operating across the same dietary and wellness categories.
- Whole Foods Market UK: Premium organic and natural foods retailer in the UK with strong plant-based assortment. Comparable curated grocery model with premium positioning across vegan and specialty categories.
- Ocado Retail: UK online-only grocery platform with rapidly expanding vegan and free-from ranges. Major scaled competitor that captures mainstream grocery shoppers online who might otherwise use specialist vegan retailers.
Others
- Suma Wholefoods: UK organic and natural wholefoods wholesaler whose branded products (e.g. Suma Baked Beans) are stocked by Alternative Stores. Comparable vegan/free-from assortment and a participant in the same supply ecosystem.
- Infinity Foods Co-operative: UK natural and organic wholefoods wholesaler and retailer based in Brighton. Comparable focus on natural, vegan, and free-from products; also a potential supplier to Alternative Stores.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alternative Stores social profiles
Digital presenceAlternative Stores financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alternative Stores leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alternative Stores funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alternative Stores M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alternative Stores
What does Alternative Stores do?
Alternative Stores operates a 100% vegan online superstore selling free-from, plant-based, and organic products across food, chilled, snacks, health & beauty, household, and pet categories. The company curates products from multiple vegan and cruelty-free brands (e.g., Sosmix, Naturli, Violife, Suma, Be At One) and delivers directly to homes, businesses, and outlets across the United Kingdom. It also offers a subscription service for recurring orders and a dedicated trade/catering bulk ordering section for commercial customers.
Is Alternative Stores a public or private company?
Alternative Stores is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Alternative Stores founded?
Alternative Stores was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alternative Stores based?
Alternative Stores is headquartered in North Shields, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Alternative Stores make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscriptions.
Who are Alternative Stores's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Vegan Kind, Abel & Cole, The Cruelty Free Shop and Good Club. Broad incumbents are Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett, Whole Foods Market UK and Ocado Retail. Others are Suma Wholefoods and Infinity Foods Co-operative.
Does Alternative Stores have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alternative Stores.
What industry is Alternative Stores in?
Alternative Stores's product category is Online Vegan Grocery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAEAE, Natural Specialty Food Stores (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Keto, Allergy-Friendly), with a secondary code of CRAHAEAC, Health Food & Supplement Stores. Its NAICS code is 44529 and its SIC code is 5411.