There's a B.C. brand for period products including pads, tampons

Victoria-based co-founders Jayesh Vekariya and Linda Biggs are out to change the period product category. Photo by Tegan McMartin /Joni

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In case you hadn’t heard, there is a way to add a “Buy B.C.” element to period products thanks to the Victoria-based brand Joni.

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The company, which started in 2020, offers organic, chemical-free pads and tampons, as well as recently launching a style of leak-proof period underwear.

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We caught up with co-founders Linda Biggs and Jayesh Vekariya to learn more.

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Q: For those who aren’t familiar, what is Joni?

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Biggs: We created Joni to change the game in period care, especially for Canadians. When we started, we noticed a clear lack of Canadian period care brands on retail shelves or available online so we changed that. As an impact brand that gives back over two per cent of revenues, we wanted to ensure that Canadian’s have sustainable and accessible period care solutions available anywhere they are. Our mission is to drive menstrual equity forward in Canada, and to date we have donated over two million products to non-profits partners across the country, which we’re super proud of.

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Q: What makes it unique?

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Vekariya: We’re women-led and the only B Corp-Certified disposable period care brand in Canada creating game-changing plant-based period care that actually works. Every product is made from the highest quality compostable, organic, plant-based, and high-performance materials so no one has to compromise between their bodily agency, comfort, and the planet.

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Joni is a Victoria-based product offering period care products. Photo by Joni /Handout

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Q: Who is the target customer?

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Biggs: It’s simple. Do you menstruate? If yes, Joni is here for you. From first periods to postpartum, perimenopause, and even those leaks in between and after — Joni was created to support everybody who menstruates by meeting them where they are, no matter the flow.

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Q: Is there anything that might surprise people to learn about the product or brand?

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Vekariya: Most people know Joni for pads and tampons, and now, reusable leakproof period underwear — but we have also created a game-changing commercial period care dispenser that has rolled out to thousands of locations across Canada — supporting people at school, work, gyms, libraries and other public spaces. It’s the world’s first smart period care dispenser, revolutionizing distribution and access infrastructure in public washrooms. One in three Canadians under 25 don’t have access to safe period care, and we believe that period products should be as available as toilet paper — free, sustainable, and right where you need them.

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Q: What is the price range for your products?

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Vekariya: Joni products range from about $7 for a box of liners and pads up to $38 for performance reusable leakproof period underwear, with flow-based bundles around $20.

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Q: And where can people learn more?

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Biggs: Explore our full lineup at getjoni.com. We’re a national brand available from coast to coast to coast so you can find us at your local retailer, at larger national and regional stores like Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Save-On-Foods and London Drugs, and online at well.ca and costco.ca.

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