The Organic Trade Board is calling on independent retailers to join Wake Up To Organic, its annual campaign designed to increase footfall and sales of organic by promoting organic breakfast items.

Over 70 stores nationwide have already signed up to the event, which will take place on Wednesday June 14. Joint organisers, the Organic Trade Board and the Soil Association, hope to get 200 stores involved.

According to the Soil Association’s Organic Market Report, the UK organic market is worth £1.4 billion per annum, accounts for 1.8% of all grocery sales and grew by 5.6% in 2016 - in contrast, the non-organic sector saw its sales contract by 0.6% in the same period - and organic product sales for independent retailers grew by 7.5% in 2015.

This year’s event will see independent stores, delicatessens, farm shops and cafes across the UK offer passers-by a free organic breakfast, product or coffee, to celebrate all things organic and demonstrate how easy it is to make the swap at breakfast.

All participating stores will receive a toolkit to help them make the most of hosting Wake Up breakfast events in store. Each kit will include point of sale materials, event tips on how to bring Wake Up To Organic alive in store, create breakfast recipes instore, set up displays and tastings, involve local suppliers and producers, and suggestions on how to sell more organic.

Infinity Foods Cooperative will be providing breakfast boxes of their delicious organic products to all participating stores.

Also Pip Organic is providing some of their organic juices and Whole Foods are providing organic coffee.

Independent stores will be encouraged to link up with nationwide PR and social media activity using the hashtag #WakeUptoOrganic.

Catherine Fookes, campaign manager at the Organic Trade Board, says: “Building on the success of Wake Up to Organic last year, we know the campaign is a great opportunity for independent retailers to communicate directly with their customers and help change attitudes to organic.

“With organic sales through independents increasing, breakfast is an opportunity to demonstrate to customers just how simple, and beneficial, it can be to make the switch. And for retailers the opportunity for a positive impact on sales, to help accelerate growth, at what is traditionally a quieter period in their opening hours.”