Plantx Life (VEGA.C) announced their expansion of their e-commerce platform into Israel, including a brick and mortar Plantx location, according to a press release.
This move comes after the recent closure of their private placement, in which they raised $11.5 million led by Psagot Investment House, an Israeli investment firm and Israel’s largest pension fund manager.
“Israel over all has a strong leaning towards plant-based products due both to emerging trends and dietary laws that many Israeli Jews follow that prohibit meat or dairy following eating one or the other. We are thrilled and excited to expand our e-commerce platform to another international market to provide Israeli consumers with enhanced choice, widen our product offerings with Israeli brands, and offer the unique Plantx shopping and customer service experience to Israel.” said Michael Blicher, Plantx’s vice-president of global expansion.
The company owns their own Plantx Israel web domain and intends to launch it alongside their first brick-and-mortar store. Plantx Israel customers will get the same services and web presence as North American customers, including meal delivery, plant delivery and access to its plant-based products. Also, weekly recipes, a restaurant locator for plant-based fare, and article access for information on plant-based trends.
Plantx’s Israeli expansion plans include the establishment of franchise locations across the country. The expansion of turnkey retail solutions and franchises in Israel will be led by Israeli-founded Iris Construction Management. Iris’s founders share a vision with Plantx to spread health, wellness and plant-based education to consumers. This partnership with Iris will allow Plantx to continue in its pursuit of becoming a one-stop shop for everything plant based and a digital leader in the plant-based community.
“The Mediterranean diet has plenty of flavours with many vegan dishes. Eating plant-based products was a way of survival since the days of the Kibbutz. This simplicity is still what we see on the table, especially at an Israeli breakfast table, which are known for their extensive spread of vegetables, grains and many different types of salads,” said Mili Ben-David, vice president of Israel operations.
When completed, Plantx’s Israel location will be their first overseas, and will offer a shop with a variety of plant-based products, a cafe and restaurant with plant-based premade meals and an education centre. The company intends on continuing to use its e-commerce platform in other countries to develop new partnerships, acquisitions and verticals within the plant-based industry.
The company still intends on building franchises in San Diego, California, and Squamish, B.C.
—Joseph Morton
