With its stated missions of sustainability and selling organic products, Whole Foods has endorsed an Evanston business whose natural and organic products have attracted local customers for 14 years: Ashley Lauren. Georgia Parker first created her skin and hair products in her basement before opening her shop at 1102 Davis St.
At the launch of the products in the Whole Food South store on June 9, Ms. Parker told the RoundTable, “We make real products for real people. … It’s great to be in the Evanston store.” Whole Foods will offer Ms. Parker’s entire line of products “for hair care, skin care and body,” she said, adding that she will offer demonstrations of her products at the Whole Foods South store on the second Saturday of each month.
Bridget Isaia, marketing and community relations specialist for Whole Foods South, said Ashley Lauren is the third Evanston business whose products the store will market, joining Blissful Home cleaning products and Solixir botanical-infused beverages. “We issued a call for local vendors, and Ms. Parker met with our body-care vendors.”
“They sampled the products and liked them,” said Ms. Parker. “We manufacture only the highest-quality products, and I’m committed to growing Ashley Lauren and to creating jobs for the community,” she added.
Ms. Isaia told the RoundTable, “Stephanie Rucker, our Whole Body Team leader, … was overjoyed by the community’s response to the local body care product line. Stephanie was integral in bringing Ashley Lauren to our store.”
While Ashley Lauren products will be sold initially in the Evanston Whole Foods South store, Ms. Isaia said, “Once a store brings in a new local product, any other store can bring it in as well, if the vendor can supply enough of the product.”
Ms. Isaia also said, “We are specifically looking for unique products that you can’t find anywhere else, and I think Evanston is a hotbed for those unique foods and products.”