Competition from the big supermarkets forces closure of SA’s first vegan-only store
Growing competition from the big supermarkets has forced Everything Vegan – South Australia’s first store stocking solely plant-based products – to close.
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The owner of South Australia’s first vegan-only store has been forced to shut up shop.
Unable to compete with the rise of plant-based products in the big supermarkets, Kym Henley will close Everything Vegan, which she opened in 2012, by the end of March.
Mrs Henley opened the store – which relocated from Wright St to Goodwood Rd in 2015 – to allow vegans to do their shopping in one place.
“It’s been a decision coming over the past two years,” Mrs Henley says.
“I want to give a huge thank you to our customers for all their support.
“I could not have done it without them.”
She says in recent years, the big chain supermarkets have started stocking more vegan products to meet demand.
“They can buy in bulk and offer cheaper prices than what we can offer, and that’s just killed us off,” she says.
The competition has left her with mixed emotions, as it means her “ultimate dream” of having everybody move to a plant-based diet is inching closer.
Mrs Henley says the decision to close Everything Vegan was cemented when it started to impact on Freedom Hill Sanctuary – the animal shelter she runs with husband Richard.
“It’s not been a rash decision,” Mrs Henley says.
“But it’s time to step back and do something different.”
It has been a rollercoaster few months for Mrs Henley, with the animal sanctuary, at Harrogate, in the path of last month’s Cudlee Creek fire.
Thankfully, more than 100 rescued, orphaned or abandoned farm animals survived the fire, which scorched paddocks, trees and fences.
Mr and Mrs Henley were already in the process of relocating the shelter to a property at Monarto South and, in the wake of the fire, set up a fundraiser hoping to raise $100,000 to help with the move.
That goal has been achieved, and Mrs Henley hopes the new property will be ready in a couple of months.
“We’re ecstatic,” she says.
“After the fires went through our feet have not touched the ground.
“We had no idea what was happening with the fundraising until Christmas Eve.
“Because we’re so isolated we did not realise we had that much support.”
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She says it is “huge relief”, knowing that so many people feel farm animals are worthy of a good life.
“We’ve had mixed emotions all the time,” she says.
“One minute crying and the next bewildered with what is happening.
“It’s been heartwarming.”
Everything Vegan’s online store will also close.