What the heck is “Fair Trade” anyway?!
“Fair Trade” has become cliche. But as responsible business owners it is something we (you and I) should take seriously. In many corners of the retail world the term fair trade is used simply as a marketing ploy and because the words can be defined 100 different ways by 100 different people it can be hard for consumers to interpret. But still most consumers have a sense that “fair trade” represents a certain ethical and quality standard.
There are fair trade membership networks that have rigorous standards. This may bring a higher level of credibility to your business, though belonging to such a network can be costly and time consuming and in my opinion not all that worthwhile. However, communicating the fair trade standards that you choose to follow in your business, to your customers, is very important. It helps educate them and also is a way to build trust. For me, “fair trade” means a couple things: 1) Pay a fair wage to artisans/ workers 2) Be sure all artisans/ workers are treated in a dignified way and have a safe working environment. 3) No child labor 4) Mimimize detrimental affects on the environment. The videos on our website give some more insight into our values and how our artisans are treated.
For me, running an ethical/ socially responsible business is important. We are all part of this new global community and I feel that it is important to participate in it, in an honest and mutually productive way. We are, after all, whether American, Asian, Eglish, African, Australian… all human beings sharing one living planet.
In case you missed the last notice, I added a ton of new stock this week, including: Stunning chunky rings, mid-size pendantssilver gem bracelets. and
Have a great weekend!
Tags: Fair Trade Jewelry
In just the past week I have added over 150 new items including: Sterling silver & gemstone 
And if you are going to smack down that kind of dough you want to be sure you are confident of the source, value and the quality – you have seen the quality of the jewelry I sell so I hope I at least have that going for me!
small percentage of your clientelle will be looking for that heirloom piece and be willing to spend $100+ retail for it. So it is nice to have a couple pieces in this price range.
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