13 Ethical Mom-And-Pop Brands That Are Actually Owned By Giant Corporations

[FarCenter]

Burt's Bees is marketed as a local brand from Durham, N.C., and proudly described as "Earth Friendly Natural Personal Care for The Greater Good." Of course the brand downplays that it was sold for nearly a billion dollars a few years ago to mega-corporation Clorox.

Brands like Burt's Bees and Ben & Jerry's attract a growing market of environmentally-conscious consumers. They rely on being marketed as local and natural, but many consumers have no clue that these brands now have mammoth multinational overlords.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/13-ethical-mom-and-pop-brands-that-are-actually-owned-by-giant-corporations-2011-10

[ixion]

1. *sigh*

even when you think you're supporting alternative companies, you're really just supporting The Man. :(

[girl gone mad]

2. It's worth it to find truly local places.

I buy my ice cream from a local company and it's a million times better than anything Ben & Jerry's makes.

[Zanzoobar]

3. A million?

I might believe 100 thousand time better, or even 375,000 times better, but 1 million?!?!!? HAHHHAAHAHAHAAH, I laugh in your face.

[girl gone mad]

4. Oops..

I meant to say a billion times better.

[Zanzoobar]

5. Calculating the odds.....

On edit, Could you help me with the zeroes?.

[Cal Carpenter]

6. IT's best to just assume this is the case

with any brand that is sold at major retailers. It may start out at first as a 'distribution agreement' but if they are in CVS, Rite Aid, Target, any major grocery chains then they are most likely already bought out.

Here in Michigan we have a great brand called Eden Foods - everything from pasta to oils to canned beans to soy milk. They are pretty widespread and haven't sold out. But there isn't much like that out there any more.

The ones that haven't sold out are the exception and they are few and far between.

[Tace]

7. Bob's Red Mill Sold Out

Bob sold out to his employees. : )

[icymist]

8. Yeah, makes you not want to trust anybody at their word.

Gee. Where have I heard that before?

[Tx4obama]

9. Of the 13 on the list, I've never bought any of them. And ........

there's quite a few I've never even heard of before.

[Quantess]

10. I have purchased every single one of those brands except Burt's Bees.

What a disappointment.

[eShirl]

11. Burt's Bees started in Maine, not NC. n/t