Case Study: Natural Foods Grocer, Jimbo's

WORLD CENTRIC + JIMBO'S

The Challenge

Jimbo's has spent more than four decades building a reputation as one of San Diego's most trusted independent natural foods grocers. Founded in 1984 by Jim “Jimbo” Someck, the company has grown from a single North Park storefront into a multi-location chain across San Diego County, all while holding fast to a sustainability ethos that predates most packaging legislation on the books today. That ethos set a high bar. Jimbo's was among the first grocers in the region to eliminate single-use plastic bags and has long operated a “plastic-free water aisle.” Jimbo’s also works with vendors to move away from Styrofoam packaging. And, the natural grocer works with local composters to divert over 1,000 tons of food waste away from the landfill every year. Jimbo’s also donates 300,000+ meals in the San Diego community each year. Extending that same standard across all departments meant finding packaging that could perform across very different needs without sacrificing shelf appeal or food quality: hot bar containers that are durable enough for takeout, bakery boxes and bags that keep freshly baked goods fresh, meat and produce trays that don’t leak, and containers that can last in a grab-and-go cold case for several days. Plus, a manufacturing partner that could also deliver high-quality consumer retail products in the paper goods aisle. At the same time, Jimbo's needed a partner who could help it stay ahead of California's fast-changing compostability and recyclability requirements as the company continues to expand into new San Diego communities, each with its own local packaging rules to track.

The Solution

World Centric worked with Jimbo's to bring compostable packaging into nearly every department across its stores. From deli meat trays, to cups at the coffee bar, to grab-and-go hot bar containers, World Centric's diverse range of 450+ compostable products gave Jimbo's a consistent, department-by-department path to replace conventional plastic with compostable alternatives, all while preserving the high-quality presentation the brand is known for.

“Sustainability is an ongoing journey for us. Single-use packaging is tough to avoid entirely, but transitioning to compostable materials allows us to meaningfully reduce our footprint and work toward completely phasing out single-use plastics.”

— Chelsea Nelson, Director of Environmental Impact, Jimbo’s

As a result of this partnership, Jimbo's now proudly offers 100% of its salad and hot bar foods, as well as all coffees, juices, and smoothies, in only World Centric compostable packaging. Jimbo’s now also offers World Centric’s line of 13 different retail items on shelf in the paper goods aisle. Since this partnership, Jimbo’s sales of World Centric products has nearly doubled, with the number one item being 40 count, 9" fiber plates.

As a company built entirely around compostable products rather than offering them as a side line, World Centric was able to match Jimbo's own sustainability values. This commitment to compostables-only also gave the Jimbo’s team confidence that their packaging partner understood the mission as well as the materials.

With World Centric's regulatory expertise layered on top, Jimbo's is also positioned to keep pace with new compostable packaging laws as it opens additional stores across San Diego County, rather than reacting to each new requirement store by store.

Conclusion

As Jimbo's continues to grow across San Diego County, the company depends on partners who share its long-standing commitment to sustainability without asking it to compromise on quality or freshness. World Centric's compostable product range, sustainability expertise, and regulatory guidance make it a trusted partner as Jimbo's strives to bring compostable packaging to nearly every department in the store, and continues to open new locations across the region.