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June 14, 2005
Fair-Mart: the fair trade alternative retailer
A free idea for someone with more money than I right now...
A big-box retailer, like Wal-Mart/Kmart/Target/etc. except that all products are sourced solely through "fair trade" practices, however you might define that. I understand that niche retailers like Global Exchange have a similar goal but they primarily focus on gifts, not the necessities many of us shop for at Target or Wal-Mart.
If there was a place to buy such necessities without the guilt of suporting child labor, polluting third-world countries and supporting human rights violations, I belive many in core blue-state cities would welcome the opportunity.
Prices would be higher, but that's a feature not a bug. Paying high prices is how customers would know that they're doing the right thing. It would help them to feel good about themselves.
I think the time is right for a retailer like this. Kmart/Sears is a historical relic and Wal-Mart is coming under increasing fire in the mainstream press. Maybe my perspective is tainted from living in Ithaca and the SF area, but I don't think the target demo even shops at Wal-Mart right now. The only real competition is Target.
Build a cool brand like Anthropologie or Restoration Hardware. Think of it as the Whole Foods of retail (thanks Baldzilla).
Posted by sam at 09:01 PM