What is the B Store and what does it sell?
The B Store was originally opened in 2018 as a holiday pop-up in Portland’s Lloyd Center Mall as part of the Lloyd Local initiative and ran again in 2019. The B Store featured products from Certified B Corporation companies, and the primary objective of the store was to educate consumers about the important work being done in the global B Corp movement of people using business as a force for good.
As a B Corporation ourselves, Reitemeier is thrilled that we were a sponsor of the B Store. This allowed us to show our support for the B Community businesses. Our sponsorship helped to pay for the administration of the B Store as well as the rent and overhead of the store.
The B Store was supported 100% by donated products from our many local B Corporations and wholly staffed by a crew of volunteers who operated and managed the store. All profits from sales at the B Store went back into B Local PDX to provide outreach, support, and programming for other local B Corps.
The B Store has only had two years of operation, but will hopefully be a proof of concept for other metropolitan communities. B Local PDX gained notoriety for a unique and ingenious idea. Ideally, the pop-up B Store will become an annual event. Eventually, it may become a self- sustaining organization that is open for a season, or even throughout the entire year.
What exactly is a B Corporation?
Certified B Corporations are a new kind of company that use the power of business to better our workplaces, our communities, and our environment. It’s like LEED or Fair Trade certification but for a whole business, not just for a building or a bag of coffee.
B Corporations must pass rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are required to consider the impact of all of their decisions on their employees, suppliers, vendors, customers, communities, and the environment.
Watch our new video about our B Corp certification
Why did we become B Corp certified?
Even though we just became an official certified B Corporation, the truth is Reitmeier was already one in practice. Becoming a B Corporation ties to our vision, mission, and values. We believe that business has a higher purpose beyond simply profit.
We are dedicated to advancing our commitment to making Reitmeier a great place to work and a great company to hire.
The B Corp assessment extends this commitment even further, giving us a framework to measure our company’s success against rigorous values and responsible practices. And because we have to reapply for certification every two years, it pushes us to continuously improve the way in which we serve our employees, customers, suppliers, community, and environment.
In addition, we wanted to become part of the B Corp community because it is changing the way people worldwide think about business. It’s exciting to be part of a growing movement of companies working together to redefine success in business and do good in the world.
If you want to learn more about how we became a B Corp because you are considering it for your company, just email or call us!