H-E-B’s ‘Be the Change’ commits to diversity and inclusion
The text from a friend in Houston came with a photo that made Lamar Jones smile. It showed Jones’ barbecue sauces on the shelves of a Houston-area H-E-B store with a sign drawing attention to the Weslaco-based brand.
Anyone who shops at H-E-B knows the abundance of barbecue sauces the store stocks. That the supermarket giant used its distinctive signage to call out the Jank BBQ Sauce choices helped distinguish it not just as a madein-Texas sauce but as a Blackowned business.
“It’s a great feeling and a humbling experience,” said Jones, who created his barbecue-sauce company five years ago, “to know people are buying into the vision of this product.”
And H-E-B is buying into it big. Not just the Jank but hundreds of other brands owned and operated by people of color.
Beginning this month, H-E-B is showing its commitment to racial equality and social justice with the introduction of its Be the Change initiative in 189 Texas supermarkets. The company is using Black History Month as part of its plan to advance the visibility of underrepresented groups such as racial minorities, women, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. Be the Change expands on H-E-B’s $1 million pledge in 2020 toward inclusion and diversity.
Through the program, the grocery brand will identify new vendors and highlight existing businesses from underrepresented communities. Their products will get endcap placements and special signage throughout aisles to call attention to specific brands. The initiative underscores a culture of diversity that H-E-B already prizes, said James Harris, director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity.
“By and large, this is not new to H-E-B. Our culture believes that each and every person counts,” Harris said. “Be the Change brings all that to bear — to drive us to be a better employer, better retailer and better community partner. This is something we’re already doing. We’re just doubling down and intensifying our efforts.”
Those efforts will be visible
during national observations such as Women’s History Month, Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. On a day-to-day level, the initiative will play out as a visible demonstration of bringing about economic equality and social reform within the shopping experience.
Black History Month, for example, adds 30 new African American vendors to the more than 100 Black-owned companies with products at H-E-B. Those include Houston’s Firstline hair products; Me & the Bees Lemonade based in Austin; sausages, étouffée base and Creole products from Houston-proud Frenchy’s; and wines from Houston importer and wholesaler Branwar Wine Distributing Co.
And Jones’ the Jank sauces, a small Rio Grande Valley business, will use every leverage it can. “This is a step in the right direction with everything going on. The fact that they’re being so inclusive within the diversity of the pool of vendors is a standup move,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from H-E-B. It’s not a surprise, but it’s a huge deal and will have a huge impact.”
Percy Creuzot has already felt the impact. The owner of the H-town Frenchy’s restaurant brand and retail products sold in H-E-B stores said that since Be the Change began two weeks ago the company has already seen an increase in demand.
“We’ve seen more orders, an immediate result,” he said of products such as Frenchy’s gumbo and étouffée base. “I know it’s going to have the same effect on other companies they highlight. I think that it’s tremendous these groups will be highlighted. It will benefit them financially. It’s not just talk; it’s results in sales.”
As a Black business owner,
Creuzot welcomes any new exposure to Frenchy’s. “Certainly, our Black customers support us. I can guarantee you that the increase in sales aren’t just from the Black community but from the Houston community. It’s a game-changer for us.”
Before she became a paid social-media promoter for H-E-B, Vicky Andrews of Houston says she was a loyal H-E-B shopper who appreciated the store’s commitment to diversity within a diverse city. She went into H-E-B at the beginning of the month to see how Be the Change would enhance her own shopping experience.
“I learned a lot going into the store. I was amazed at the quality of the products, and I didn’t even know some of these were Black owned,” said Andrews, a chef, consultant and food stylist whose Instagram followers know her as @thaqueenofyum. “I like that they’re making room for people of color. A lot of times those voices can be muffled.”
After a year of Black Lives Matter marches, the killing of George Floyd and voter suppression of people of color, something like Be the Change has important resonance, Andrews said.
“People have had time to sit with themselves and do some reflecting,” she said. “This is the echo that people have been heard.”
H-E-B will use Be the Change to continue its efforts to develop diversity in its products as well as in its in-house recruiting, mentoring and career advancement.
“We’re just telling our story,” Harris said. “It’s less about us and more about Texas and the customers we serve. When we’re helping small and diverse suppliers, not only are we making a difference in their lives, but we also see it as another way to serve our community.”