From women’s shelter to beauty brand success story, female-led, Canadian beauty brand Evio recognized as 2021 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year by Retail Council of Canada

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has selected Evio Beauty Group as the winner of the Excellence in Retailing Awards (ERA) 2021 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year.

Evio Beauty Group’s founder and CEO Brandi Leifso exemplifies the brand’s values of kindness, consciousness, and affordability.  After being a victim of domestic violence herself and living in women’s shelters in Vancouver, Brandi set out to become an impassioned advocate for change.

Evio is redefining the clean beauty space with a line of luxury good-for-you products. Evio rewards kindness with discounts; with every purchase, customers can donate to charity, and if they choose to do so, receive a discount off already affordable products. And, with more than 2700 harmful ingredients banned from their formulas, all Evio products are made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, and supported with fair wages.

“My vision was to design a beauty company that made high quality products accessible to everyone and to create a culture of kindness by giving back” said Brandi Leifso, CEO and Founder, adding “We now work with over 27 different shelters across Canada to continue to support others in need. There is so much more than just the transaction now in retail.  What really matters is that connection with the consumer. That’s where retail thrives.”

RCC’s Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of a local independent retailer. The recipient has distinguished herself as a visionary and innovator that has become an integral part of the community the retailer serves.

“With Evio Beauty Group, Brandi has been able to cultivate a community that’s fueled by kindness.  She’s been able to achieve the perfect balance between offering consumers the highest quality product while also advocating for change.” said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. “They’re a beauty company, but so much more than that.  They are committed to an incredible mission to break stigma by doing things differently.”

Past winners of the Excellence in Retailing Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award include: Poppy Barley, Birch Hill Studio, Diamond Gallery, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Reckless Bike Stores, Amos Pewter, That Pro Look, Cuckoo’s Nest and Korry’s Clothiers for Gentlemen.

The Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award will be presented to Evio Beauty Group at Retail Council of Canada’s Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala on September 14, 2021, hosted virtually from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. To purchase tickets for the gala here.

The Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala will close the first day of RCC STORE 21, which is Canada’s biggest retail conference, from September 13 to September 16, 2021. RCC STORE 21 will feature 60+ speakers and is attracting retail leaders from across North America and around the globe.

Media are also invited to attend. Participants can purchase tickets to RCC STORE 21.  

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About Evio Beauty Group
Evio Beauty is a portfolio of conscious lifestyle brands taking clean and green beauty to new heights. Evio’s mission is to create a conscious future. Evio has earned recognition from Vogue, The New York Times, Elle, Flare, Chatelaine, and Allure for its unique founding story and high performing beauty products. Additionally, the Evio Beauty portfolio is home to Evio Community, an online platform of curated content stimulating conversation and collecting data on beauty, cannabis, fashion, feminism, wellness & entrepreneurship. In 2018, Evio successfully secured alumni membership in the highly acclaimed Sephora Accelerate program.

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada’s largest private sector employer. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association that represents small, medium, and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, and online merchants. www.RetailCouncil.org

For more information or to schedule media interviews, contact:
Branka Stavric, Senior Director, Marketing & Communication
bstavric@retailcouncil.org