Groceries Apparel
Rated: Great
Price: $$
Location: USA
Quick verdict
Groceries Apparel is best for eco-conscious shoppers who want genuinely non-toxic, plant-dyed basics made entirely in Los Angeles. The brand's food-waste dye house (using avocado pits, coffee grounds, and fermented indigo) is a legitimate innovation with no direct competitor at production scale. However, a BBB F rating with 10 unanswered complaints and a Trustpilot score of 2.1/5 reveal serious customer service problems that any affiliate site should disclose honestly.
Key info
- Headquarters
- Vernon / Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA
- Founded
- 2009
- Product categories
- Womenswear, Basics, Loungewear
- Price range
- $$
- Key certifications
- GOTS (organic cotton)
Groceries Apparel sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
GOTS-certified organic cotton (92–100% in most products), Tencel, hemp, linen, and recycled PET. The standout is their 100% non-toxic plant-based dye house (claimed to be the only production-scale facility of its kind in the US) using upcycled food waste. Zero heavy metals, zero PFAS.
Products are made in their own vertically integrated factory in Downtown LA with approximately 36–70 employees. The brand claims fair wages and conditions, but there is no evidence workers are paid verified living wages. No Fair Trade or SA8000 certification.
The elimination of toxic chemicals from the dye process is significant, Organic and recycled materials limit environmental harm. However, the brand publishes no CO2 emissions data, water usage figures, or waste-to-landfill metrics. No evidence of textile waste minimization or packaging reduction programs.
High transparency on manufacturing process and location, they publish videos from their factory and detailed material descriptions. But low transparency on measurable environmental impact: no published sustainability report, no quantified metrics, and no third-party certifications beyond GOTS.
Tees at $44 and leggings at $98 are competitive for made-in-USA, GOTS-certified, plant-dyed garments. Frequent 25% off sitewide sales bring effective prices down further. The customer service risk, however, diminishes perceived value.
What they do well
- Only production-scale 100% non-toxic dye house in the US, using upcycled food waste (avocado pits, carrot tops, pomegranate rinds, coffee grounds, fermented indigo from Japan)
- Fully vertically integrated, Made-in-USA factory in Downtown LA: design, cutting, sewing, dyeing, and shipping all under one roof
- Consistent third-party validation across environmental, social, and animal welfare criteria
- GMO-free, Monsanto-free materials with zero heavy metals, PFAS, or toxic chemicals in the entire supply chain
- Featured positively across Ecothes, The Good Trade, Eco-Stylist, and multiple sustainable fashion directories
Room for improvement
- No published environmental impact data despite "hardcore sustainability" positioning, Eco-Stylist specifically calls out the lack of CO2, water, and waste metrics
- Labor claims remain self-reported with no independent verification, no B Corp, Fair Trade, or third-party labor audits
About Groceries Apparel
Groceries Apparel was born in 2009 when Matthew Boelk and Robert Lohman, two UC Santa Barbara environmental studies graduates, launched from a Venice Beach garage with seed money from Lohman's family. The brand's defining innovation is its plant-based dye house, which uses food waste collected from local grocers, avocado pits and skins, carrot tops, onion skins, pomegranate rinds, and coffee grounds.
They operate from a 33,000-square-foot vertically integrated factory in Downtown LA where they control every production step. Core fabrics include GOTS-certified organic cotton (92–100%), Tencel from sustainably harvested eucalyptus, hemp, and recycled PET.
Revenue sits around $3.8 million annually with approximately 36–70 employees. Despite strong sustainability credentials, the customer experience side is troubled: the BBB awarded an F rating after 10 unanswered complaints, and Trustpilot reviewers consistently cite extreme shipping delays and poor communication.
Pricing ranges from $34–$98 with regular sales, positioning the brand as accessible within the sustainable basics category, cheaper than Reformation or MATE the Label but pricier than Pact. The brand earned a Silver Medal from Hey Social Good.
Product highlights
Swoop Neck Tee
100% GOTS organic cotton, plant-dyed
$44
Entry-point staple in unique vegetable-dye colorways
High-Rise Ribbed Short
92% organic cotton / 8% spandex
$78
Activewear short available in multiple food-waste dye colors
Momo Midi Legging 19"
Organic cotton stretch activewear
$98
Flagship activewear piece with plant-based dye
Everyday Raglan Pullover
Organic cotton French Terry sweatshirt
~$78–$98
Bestseller in "Coffee" dye, signature comfort piece
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