The Buy From A Black Woman Inspire Tour presented by H&M is an annual multi-city pop-up shopping event that features products from Black women-owned businesses in H&M stores across North America. This tour is more than just a series of events, it’s a movement that uplifts and empowers Black Women Business Owners.
The Expansiveness of the Tour
This year we hosted 16 events across 12 cities, six states, two countries and one territory. We wanted to bring economic opportunities to multiple regions and show that it’s possible to support Black Women-Owned Businesses on a larger scale. Especially because each event creates a ripple effect, encouraging local communities to support and invest in these entrepreneurs.
Creating Opportunities for Black Women
Over 50 Black Women Business Owners were engaged during the Inspire Tour, this includes service providers throughout our network of partners, who provided support to the operations team. From inception, to planning and production, Black Women were involved in every aspect of this initiative to ensure that we genuinely reflected the experiences, needs and aspirations of the Black Women Entrepreneurs that we serve.
For the tour showcases specifically, 40 Black Women Business Owners were featured throughout the campaign:
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20 Black Women were featured at the in-store pop-up events
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20 Black Women were featured through the community enrichment events
Where possible, the community enrichment events were held in Black Woman-Owned Spaces.
The 40 businesses represented a wide range of industries, which underscores the diverse talent and entrepreneurial spirit within this community. Categories included:
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Accessories
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Agriculture
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Books and paper goods
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Firearms and ammunition
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Fitness
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Food
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Hair
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Home decor
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Mental health
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Oral health
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Skincare
This diversity not only challenges stereotypes, but it also demonstrates the multifaceted contributions of Black Women to the economy. Supporting businesses across these varied sectors fosters a more inclusive and dynamic market.
Providing Visibility for Black Women
Representation matters. Seeing Black Women in charge and thriving in their businesses inspires others and challenges stereotypes. It creates a powerful visual statement that Black Women are leaders, innovators and successful business owners, contributing to a broader societal shift towards greater diversity and inclusion in the business world.
Which is why PR was an important component of this campaign.
We earned 13 media features on major platforms like Essence, retail trade publication Inside Retail and Toronto’s most popular breakfast show CP24 Breakfast. Local outlets like the Atlanta Journal Constitution and blogTO also covered the Inspire Tour from a regional angle.
Our PR efforts trickled down to the Black Women Business Owners featured during the tour and drove website traffic and conversions such as email signups, but more importantly, the features drove $15,000 in online sales and in-store sales for vendors with storefronts.
Economic Impact of the Tour
For our H&M shopping events, the Black Women-Owned Businesses featured at the in-store pop-ups made over $25,000 in sales. Providing them with a platform to showcase their products helped drive record sales for most of the businesses, which not only demonstrates the market's demand for their products but also highlights consumer buy-in to our mission to #BuyFromABlackWoman. During the tour, we also awarded $3,000 in relief fund checks to businesses in Iowa, Illinois, and Ontario (Canada).
We set up the Black Woman Relief Fund in 2020 to provide critical financial assistance and help businesses navigate the challenges brought about by COVID-19 and the uncertainties caused by the temporary support received during the social justice uprising. And with the recent defunding of DEI programs causing a third wave of uncertainty for Black Women Business Owners, we decided to revive the program.
Based on available data, the 2024 Buy From A Black Woman Inspire Tour presented by H&M put $43,000+ in the hands of Black Women Business Owners. This number does not include revenue generated by the Black Women Service Providers contracted through our network partners, however, this economic boost will undoubtedly contribute to the sustainability and expansion of these businesses, which will further strengthen the economic fabric of their communities.
When You Support a Black Woman, You Support a Whole Community
The 2024 Buy From A Black Woman Inspire Tour presented by H&M is a powerful testament to the impact of supporting Black Women Entrepreneurs. By providing a platform for visibility, financial growth and community engagement, the tour has demonstrated that investing in Black Women-Owned Businesses creates a ripple effect of economic empowerment. The $43,000 earned will directly support the sustainability and expansion of these businesses, which will in turn enrich their economies and foster a more inclusive marketplace.
To learn more about how you can partner with Buy From A Black Woman for initiatives such as this, contact info@buyfromablackwoman.org