Grace Kennedy
VFR: Grace, you’re the founder of Livlite Grocery, one of Vancouver’s newest zero waste grocery delivery companies. Tell us all about Livlite!
Grace Kennedy: We’re an online grocery store that delivers to your house, and 99% of our groceries are plastic-free! We have over 700 items ranging from bulk staples, produce, dairy, plant-based products, ready-made food and household goods. Our products are mainly delivered in returnable glass jars and paper bags. We also deliver beer and wine from Strange Fellows Brewery.
VFR: What did you do before Livlite? Please share a bit about your journey to starting this company.
GK: Before starting Livlite I worked in social services and advocacy, but I also have a grocery retail background from my much younger years. I’m definitely an entrepreneur at heart!
I have a three-year old at home- well, luckily, at daycare at the moment- and if I hadn’t created Livite, to be honest, I don’t know how often I would get to a refill store in person. I tried to go to some of Vancouver’s brick and mortar stores with a baby strapped to me. It just wasn’t something that I felt was a sustainable habit for me, and I also felt it was quite expensive.
This is why I thought it was important we offer delivery every day - it has to be convenient. But also, accessible pricing. Don't get me wrong, I’m not saying we are the cheapest store on the “block”, but we price check against Save-On and other big chains consistently. And while we don’t have the buying power to be the cheapest on every item, I can guarantee you we are competitive.
VFR: You have a toddler at home, you’re incredibly busy running a business and you’ve spoken about how it’s all about making sustainability more attainable for everyone! How do we avoid “sustainability fatigue” in our daily lives?
GK: I do have a unique perspective on (sustainability fatigue) because I had a pretty unique experience about 10 years ago: my house burned down. We lost everything, but we were all okay. I came out of that thinking, “wow, all that stuff we lost just doesn't matter…like, at all”. Of course sentimental things are sad to lose, but overwhelmingly, I was not upset but any piece of clothing, jewellery, makeup, whatever… that I lost. It’s definitely changed my perspective on buying stuff entirely, so I was made a minimalist after that almost immediately.
But I’m not a zero-waster, actually, and I don’t get sustainability fatigue because I’ve found a lot of habits that work for me that are sustainable choices. I buy lots of used clothes since we have such great thrift and consignment stores in Vancouver. But, shoes I usually buy new, same with active gear. Kids clothes are the best used, but sometimes I splurge on quality items at a neighbourhood store. And I love finding second-hand or vintage furniture items locally. But on the other hand, I drive a conventional car, arguably the most environmentally destructive behaviour of all.
With having the option of shopping from Livlite, it honestly makes my home recycling and garbage so minimal. I love being able to get a jar of balsamic or olive oil, for instance, and just refill the bottle I once bought from Save-On. But again, not a zero-waster in the extreme sense…. I absolutely do have a kid in traditional pull-ups, and to be honest, that’s where most of the garbage comes from unfortunately.
VFR: What is the biggest thing you’ve learned launching your own business over the last two years? And what has surprised you the most?
GK: It’s harder than I ever imagined. You doubt yourself a lot, you really suck at taking care of yourself properly, and it definitely makes me feel a bit guilty as a mom, because you become a workaholic.
VFR: Through Vancouver Food Runners, Livlite has donated 2170 pounds of surplus food (1808 equivalent meals!) to local nonprofits over the last year. What does this mean for you on a personal level?
GK: We know North America produces some of the most food waste in the world, and I am so happy that we have a partnership with Food Runners that can help us divert excess produce to groups that are able to use it right away. It’s so efficient and we can trust that our surplus is going to great use. It would be completely unethical, and in my opinion, immoral, to not have a partnership like this setup.
VFR: Summer is upon us! What are you looking forward to over the next couple of months?
GK: Getting the word out about Livlite, opening up our pickup window and hopefully getting some mountain biking in!
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