so organic is often written about in the press...
Daily Express – Success is sweet and growth is so organic…
Maisha Frost, Business Editor of the Daily Express interviewed Samantha and Stuart Burlton about the success of So Organic, and the launch of the brand new flagship store. "The downturn is no deterrent for two entrepreneurs in the organics retail sector who have plans for high street expansion. After 4 years developing their So Organic business, offering more than 2000 cosmetic and beauty product lines "green to the core" couple Stuart and Samantha Burlton are pressing on to the next stage.’ The article describes the success of So Organic, and how the company’s reputation has grown in the organic industry. So Organic were finalist in the Organic Industry awards for best organic retailer 2009.
Daily Mail – Waste Not…
Another of the So Organic brands is getting a great deal of press attention! In a Daily Mail ‘Life & Style’ Feature, The ‘I Want’ range of compostable garden sacks were highly recommended. ‘Nothing is more infuriating than a refuse bag splitting. As well as being compostable, ‘I want’ garden sacks are strong enough to withstand heavy weights. Made from vegetable starch.’
So Organic – Winning More Awards…
Another 2 awards for So Organic. Natural Health and Beauty Awards 2009, the So Organic own brand range was highly commended in the Best Value Range Category. The judges said ‘We’re impressed by these organic face, body and haircare products which are free from toxic ingredients at competitive pries. of compostable garden sacks were highly recommended. The So Organic Daily Detangler Conditioner was also highly commended in it’s own right in the Condtioner Category. The judges commented ‘A great conditioner for normal hair, this light product contains sesame oil and seven different essential oils to nourish your tresses without weighing them down. It leaves hair fantastically tangle-free’.
Red Magazine – This month Brigid has been
Red Magazine Health notebook journalist Brigid Moss talked about the three things she had been up to this month. ‘Wearing red, to support the British Heart Foundation, cooking recipes from iminseason.com and buying toothpaste from SoOrganic.com.
Pure Beauty Magazine – Question of the Month
Trade Magazine Pure Beauty asked So Organic founder Samantha Burlton ‘What will 2010 bring for the beauty market and its consumers?’ Samantha talked of the proposed harmonisation between the Natural and Organic Certification bodies, and how it was important to explain this to consumers. ‘We now have to explain to consumers why they need to look for a certificate, what they all mean, and which ones are equivalent, so that’s quite a big job to do.’
The Daily Mail –Credit Crunch Comfort
The Daily Mail produced a feature on comforting yourself in winter regarding the Organic Blue Breathe Easy Vapourising Blend. ‘Winter cold still hanging around? We have found the perfect remedy: Organic Blue’s Breathe easy Vapourising Blend. Containing eucalyptus, lemongrass and thyme, a few drops added to your bath or to an oil burner will clear away those snuffles in no time!’
Director Magazine – What’s The Buzz?
Director Magazine produced an article in conjunction with the So Organic founder Samantha Burlton about the future of organic producers in the current economic environment. Samantha said that it is not a gloomy picture for organic producers. However, there needs to be a real focus on ‘really good quality products’. So Organic stocks only the best natural and organic products, and will not compromise. As such, as Samantha explained, there is a gap in products in some areas, such as organic Hair Dye. So Organic will not compromise, and never stocks inferior products, just to fill a gap in a product range!
The Independent – 50 Best Baby Products
The Independent produced ‘The essential guide to…The 50 Best Baby Products’. As part of this, So Organic were featured with the Bambo Nature Eco Disposable Nappies. ‘However good your intentions to use reusable nappies, it’s important not to underestimate the stress of those first few days out of hospital. That’s where these Bambo Nature eco-disposable nappies come in. They carry the Nordic Swan ecolabel, which certifies the most environmentally sound products, so you needn’t feel guilty.
Easy Living – What your friends really think of you…
In a fun article on Samantha Burlton by Vishaka Read in Easy Living Magazine, Samantha was asked to describe herself...‘But would her nearest and dearest say the same?!’ Samantha’s husband Stuart and ex flat mate Chris were asked the same questions, and were marked to see how well they know her! Among the 18 questions were ‘Her greatest irritations’, ‘Most embarrassing moment’, and ‘In a film of Samantha’s life, who would she be played by’. For the answers to these three questions, scroll to the bottom of the page, and for the full article, Easy Living is in the shop’s now.
Top Sante – Just how natural are your beauty products…
Top Sante produced an article talking about the chemicals that are used in high street beauty products, and that even those that claim to be ‘natural’ often contain undesirable ingredients. Samantha was asked for her opinion. ‘Samantha Burlton, founder of So Organic, the UK’s largest online organic beauty retailer, advises: Read labels carefully. When you know what to look for it’s not hard to quickly work out which brands to trust. Be label-savvy by looking out for the highest concentration of ingredient, which will be the first on the list. Alternatively, look out for chemical ingredients you want to avoid, such as parabens, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance and sodium lauryl sulphate.’ Alternatively, shop at So Organic, you can trust all the brands and products we sell don’t contain the chemical nasties!
The Grocer Magazine – So which one is So Organic…
In June, retail trade magazine giant The Grocer reported on the ongoing fight between So Organic and Sainsbury’s. The quoted So Organic ‘we flaged up (the clash of the proposed use of the SO Organic name by Sainsbury’s in 2005 with our own So Organic name already in existence)…at an early stage and it chose to carry on regardless. We had a short and frank discussion and said unless it withdrew we would be pursuing legal action’. The article continues, ‘Initially Sainsbury’s said it would only use it together with the Sainsbury’s name as Sainsbury’s SO Organic and only for food products. Now it is trying to trademark the name So Organic on its own and for all products, not just food!’ So Organic ‘have a first class legal team and intellectual property lawyers’. The article concludes with a statement by Sainsbury’s, which in full reads ‘we are progressing the application with the patent office’.
Best Magazine – Best Test – Organic Body Lotion…
May’s Best Magazine panel tested the best in organic body lotions… ‘keep skin soft and supple without any chemical nasties…’. The So Organic Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion was featured as among the best, and was quoted as being ‘deliciously creamy and feels kind on sensitive skin. Suppleness lasts all day.’
Herts and Essex Observer– So Organic fights off store giant…
Regional Newspaper Group Herts and Essex Observer journalist Eleanor Scotchbrook wrote about the ‘David and Goliath fight’ between So Organic and Sainsbury’s. Eleanor said ‘So Organic, the online lifestyle superstore…has won a second victory in its battle with Sainsbury’s over its name. The online shop has been fighting the supermarket giant for almost three years after it launched a range of organic food using the So Organic name’. Sainsbury’s ‘first application was dismissed in December last year’ and So Organic are ‘now opposing a second’. The opposition to the Sainsbury’s application is being filed by So Organic with the Patent Office in July.
Organic and Natural Business – So Organic name dispute
Trade magazine, Organic and Natural Business produced an article about the ongoing dispute between Sainsbury’s and our own So Organic. Sainsbury’s are trying to trademark our So Organic name. Samantha was quoted as saying ‘we know there has definitely been confusion and some people do think we are something to do with Sainsbury’s’. We are not! Sainsbury’s produced a statement saying that they sell branded food and drink…but as the article pointed out…‘Sainsbury’s trademark applications (for So Organic) list not only food but a far more comprehensive range of goods and services’!
Marie Claire – Labels with heart…
In April’s Marie Claire feature entitled ‘Labels with Heart’, they talk about brands which are not only ‘environmentally sound and fair trade, but also sexy and cool!’. So Organic’s expert stylist friend Nadira V Persaud completed the hair and make up for Marie Claire, using the So Organic ranges, including the Lavera cosmetics range on all the model’s.
Natural Beauty Summit - Europe
Samantha and Stuart Burlton were invited to give a speech at Europe’s premier natural beauty conference, Beyond Beauty, in Paris. In attendance were the senior management of all Europe’s major beauty companies including Dr Hauschka, Chanel, Estee Lauder, L’Occitane, Lavera, L’Oreal, Unilever and Weleda. Also present were all the major natural and organic certification bodies including the UK Soil Association and Germany’s BDIH. The speech focused on what customers in the UK and Europe are looking for in high quality natural and organic products. Samantha was able to tell the conference from the experience of So Organic customers, and being the voice of the consumer, what people are looking for regarding the best truly natural and organic products.
Financial Times – Battle Over Ethical Brand – UPDATE
So Organic comment: In December 2007 So Organic Limited instigated legal proceedings against J Sainsbury PLC with Observations and formal Opposition papers being submitted to the UK Intellectual Property Office, opposing Sainsbury’s trademark applications, including those for the So Organic name specifically. The immediate response from the UK Intellectual Property Office was to correct one of Sainsbury’s applications, and remove one of the versions of So Organic that they were trying to register. If you would like to send us your comments about our fight or if you have any questions, please Contact Us, we would be delighted to hear from you!
Financial Times – Battle Over Ethical Brand -
The Financial Times article entitled ‘Battle Over Ethical Brand’ reported on the latest progress of the fight between So Organic and Sainsbury’s PLC, regarding the So Organic name. Jonathan Moules of the FT wrote ‘Ms Burlton first registered So Organic as a trademark in early 2005 when she started selling ethically produced cosmetics, deodorants and soaps online... her business has since extended into a range of non-food products, including recycled stationery, CDs and books, which Ms Burlton now sells both online and from a shop in Greenwich market. Sainsbury's issued its own trademark application for So Organic in January 2006, covering a much wider range of goods than food and drink, including many items that Ms Burlton now stocks.’ So Organic comments: Samantha Burlton and the So Organic Directors have stated that they will do everything legally to stop the So Organic name being trademarked by Sainsbury’s. Previous public statements by Sainsbury’s have said that they will only use the form ‘Sainsbury’s SO Organic’, and only with food. The current attempt to trademark many other products, and the So Organic name only, is in direct contradiction to this.
So Organic Goes Carbon Neutral
So Organic Ltd is using a carbon neutral parcel delivery service with Parcelforce Worldwide. Parcelforce Worldwide in partnership with the Woodland Trust allows companies to help offset carbon emissions produced by delivering parcels by planting trees. Offsetting the carbon emissions of getting the parcel to you is just another way that So Organic minimise our impact on the environment around us... along with our other long standing policies such as using bio-degradable packing chips…and much much more!
HSBC Start-Up Stars – DOUBLE NATIONAL FINALIST! -
So Organic Limited was delighted to be a DOUBLE national finalist in the prestigious HSBC Start-Up Stars Award 2007. Start–Up Stars is the UK's premier business awards, supported by Sky News and the Daily Express, and backed by the government. There are two awards, the main Start-Up Stars for the UK’s best company under 3 years old, and the Green Award for the UK’s greenest young company. We are absolutely delighted that So Organic was a national finalist for both, the first company ever to have this double award honour. So Organic Limited includes the award winning webstore and home delivery company SoOrganic.com, the So Organic range of bodycare and home products, and the brand new concept ‘So Organic’ London Store, which opened in mid-July 2007.
The Daily Mail – My Favourite Site
Skincare expert Emine Ali wrote an article about her favourite beauty sites and ‘best buys’, this is what she said; ‘So Organic.com has a great selection of organic, chemical-free candles for those long winter baths. Made from 100 per cent pure plant was, yet from as little as £3.50, in keeping with So Organic’s laudable philosophy: affordable quality. Natural candle selection gift box, fragranced with essential oils, £14.’ Among other product mentioned in her article were the Spiezia Cleanser, Toner and Moisturiser.
Management Today – ‘35 Women Under 35’ Award -
Management Today, one of the UK’s top business magazines named Samantha Burlton, the founder of So Organic, in the 2007 ‘35 Women Under 35’ list. These are the women that a panel of experts at Management Today see as having the potential to reach the very top in UK business in the future. Management Today wrote of Samantha ‘Frustrated by the lack of readily available organic products, Samantha set up her own online organic department store, in 2005. She has won numerous awards, and is well known for her legal battle with Sainsbury’s over it’s own-label organic branding.’
Time Out Magazine - London
Samantha Burlton and So Organic were featured as being one of the five most successful young businesses in London. Samantha talked about So Organic, and about the challenges, highlights and top tips for budding entrepreneurs. The So Organic business philosophy? ‘If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.’
Ideal Home Magazine
Ideal Home Magazine voted So Organic the best website for Organic Products in the UK. So Organic is ‘a vast site specialising in all things organic, from homeware to cosmetics. The owner (Samantha Burlton) has been called the next Anita Roddick.’
Natural Health Magazine
Samantha Burlton, founder of So Organic was asked by Natural Health Magazine to give a top tip to readers. Samantha said ‘For blissfully soft hands, pour a teaspoon of salt into your palm, add around one tablespoon of olive oil and massage well for about a minute as though washing your hands – then rinse under warm water. This exfoliates your hands really gently and leaves them super smooth.’
Health and Fitness Magazine
Samantha Burlton gave her top tips for embracing an organic lifestyle, in an article called ‘Trade Secrets’. Samantha talked about the difficulty of trying to find all the things you need for an organic lifestyle. Samantha went on to say ‘Swap your everyday beauty essentials for organic alternatives – say shampoo deodorant and body lotion. Up to 60% of what you put on your skin can be absorbed, so be kind to your body and the environment’.
Women In Business International
Samantha Burlton was invited to be a keynote speaker and panellist at the WIB conference in Bahrain, supported by The Duchess of Cornwall. Women in Business is a not-for profit organisation dedicated to helping women in the Middle East and Internationally. Samantha was joined by the cream of UK Business, including the leading industrialist Dawn Gibbins MBE, and City ‘Superwoman’ Nicola Horlick. The Duchess of Cornwall talked with Samantha after the conference about So Organic and the Organic Industry. Samantha said ‘It was an honour to be asked to speak at the Conference, to tell the So Organic story, and to inspire more women from around the world to go into business for themselves.’
Spa Secrets Magazine
Spa Secrets Magazine featured SoOrganic.com, with a glowing report. ‘If facing the world after the festive season brings you out in a cold sweat, restoring your normal radiance in private is easy, with the celebrity adored website SoOrganic.com. Favoured by Kate Winslet, Bianca Jagger and Davina McCall for ethical skincare lines that include Spiezia, Green People, Barefoot Botanicals and Lavere, this organically certified retailer provides the perfect excuse to hide away and hibernate with a face mask that little bit longer’.…
The Sunday Telegraph
In The Sunday Telegraph Magazine ‘Stella’, So Organic was featured in the ‘3 Best Natural Toothpastes’ feature. Two of the three brands were from SoOrganic.com! The first was the Lavera Basis Mint Toothpaste, and the Second was the Green People Fennel and Propolis Toothpaste. More evidence that at SoOrganic.com, we only stock the very best natural and organic products…
Tonic Magazine – The Best Places to Go Organic
In a fashion feature in Tonic Magazine, entitled ‘Do You Have a Fashion Conscience’, SoOrganic.com was listed as one of the ten best places to go organic. Listed alongside high street names like M&S, this was another endorsement of the pioneering and high quality ranges that SoOrganic (as well as our award winning service!).
Grazia 02 X Business Woman of the Year
Samantha Burlton, the founder of So Organic, was the Regional Winner (London) of the Grazia O2 X Business Woman of the Year 2006. The judges were impressed with the innovative and pioneering online organic department store. The awards were launched to highlight burgeoning female entrepreneurial talent from across the UK who are pushing the boundaries of modern business. Samantha commented, “It could be said that an organic lifestyle is now becoming very fashionable but I think that trivialises the choices that people are making”.
The Independent – 50 Best E-boutiques
SoOrganic.com is listed as the 3rd best online retail company in the UK by a panel of retail experts for The Independent. Josephine Fairley, co-author of the ‘21st Century Beauty Bible’ and a member of the panel, said of SoOrganic; ‘the best selection of organic cosmetics on the net – and the only site certified by the Soil Association, guaranteeing that every brand that says it’s organic, really is – and there’s a lot of “greenwashing” out there!’
The Guardian – My organic beauty contest...
Writer and journalist Hannah Pool, with advice and guidance from Samantha Burlton, founder of SoOrganic.com, wrote ‘My organic beauty contest…’ for The Guardian. For one week, Hannah, a ‘self confessed beauty addict’ would survive on organic-only beauty products. However, when Hannah asked Samantha about organic products, she was surprised to hear that ‘things don’t have to be 100% organic to have organic on the label’. Samantha went on to say, ‘Companies are putting SLS and Parabens in products and still having an organic label!’ At the end of the week, Hannah was in two minds about going back to her regular make up bag. Samantha advised Hannah and Guardian readers to have a ‘softly-softly approach’. ‘Have a list of things you don’t want to be in your products, and you don’t need a science degree to do that.’ Needless to say, none of the products at SoOrganic.com contain SLS or Parabens…
The Independent – Organic Cosmetics
The Independent article on organic cosmetics discussed the fact that when buying them, ‘don’t believe the packaging’. Mary Holt, Marketing Manager of the Soil Association confirmed that “we find that a lot of companies claiming that their products are organic are only adding a few organic ingredients but still use synthetic colours and fragrances”. The article confirms that you can trust the Soil Association logo, to say if a product is without the nastier chemicals. SoOrganic.com is recommended as the place to go for the most comprehensive online selection of Soil Association products. SoOrganic is also the only online multi-brand retailer to be certitified by the Soil Association…
Elle Magazine
Elle Deco magazine featured the So Organic house and home department. The article supported the great customer service and delivery of So Organic…‘All (products) are delivered to your door for a fuss free approach to saving the planet’.
London Evening Standard
In an article in the London Evening Standard; ‘So unfair that supermarket used my name’, Samantha Burlton explained how she was prepared to take on Sainsbury’s in a legal battle to protect the So Organic company name. ‘I was devastated (about the Sainsbury’s launch of SO Organic). I wrote to Sainsbury’s straight away asking them not to launch the range but they declined. They said that…we didn’t overlap, but we have plans to incorporate food and I told them so.’ ‘It is extremely difficult to take on a giant like Sainsbury’s in court, if we lose it doesn’t bear thinking about’.
BBC News - London
In an interview about So Organic and the decision by Sainsbury’s to rebrand their organic range SO Organic, Samantha gave examples of customer confusion, and discussed the difficulty of taking legal action against a huge retail giant. The BBC were among the first of many to approach Samantha Burlton on this issue. In a statement on the 4th April, Samantha said ‘The response from the general public, legal profession and media following the first report in the Herts and Essex Observer has been staggering. I want to thank everyone for their support.’
The Sunday Times
Samantha Burlton featured on the front page of The Sunday Times business supplement, talking of her frustration and anger over the recent action of Sainsbury’s, relaunching their organic brand as SO Organic., In the article ‘So upset over name brand at Sainsbury’s’, Sainsbury’s said ‘we don’t believe customers are getting confused’. Samantha had previously decided not to comment on press questioning. However, this was reversed due to recent So Organic customer comments and organic industry feedback over the confusion being caused.
Easy Living Magazine
The Easy Living Magazine article entitled ‘Organic Opulence’ explains ‘This lifestyle website gives straightforward advice and is the only one with Soil Association accreditation. So Organic stocks ‘some of the best for natural and organic beauty ranges’ as well as friendly organic products for your house and home’.
The Times
In The Times, journalist Anna Shepherd talked of the credentials of organic cosmetic companies, and to look out for the Soil Association Symbol on products. Anna Shepherd went on to say ‘Unfortunately, there are no restrictions under EU law on using the word ‘organic’ in cosmetics.’ ‘To be safe, stick to products certified by the Soil Association, or shop at SoOrganic.com, the first online retailer to be certified by the Soil Association.’
The Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph's Bella Freud asked the founder of SoOrganic.com Samantha Burlton for a top beauty tip. In the 'Beauty Spot' feature, Samantha said 'For blissfully soft hands, pour a tablespoon of salt into your palm, add about one tablespoon of olive oil and massage well for about a minute as though washing your hands. Then rinse under warm water. This exfoliates your hands really gently and leaves them super smooth'.
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