At 9am on the 16th June the Shared Earth retail store in New Street, Birmingham will be visited by two very special teenagers who have flown all the way from Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers’ co-operative in Ghana to see their family’s products on sale in the UK.

Stephen Amankwah and Joycelin Segbedzi, both 14, will be visiting Shared Earth, and will be welcomed by Area Manager Lynne Dawson who has organised Fair Trade treat bags for them.

Accompanied by two giant Dubble Fairtrade chocolate bars, the two 14 year olds will make quite an entrance as they learn how their chocolate is loved by so many throughout the UK and work to extend their plea for more shopkeepers to stock Fair Trade goods through their campaign called Mission:Possible.

Shared Earth Birmingham, as well as Shared Earth’s six other stores across the country stock Dubble bars as well as the full range of Divine chocolate, Dubble’s parent company.

Sara Barron, Dubble HQ Producer comments about the visit “MISSION:POSSIBLE has had a fantastic initial response from our signed up Dubble Agents who are always asking us for new challenges and ways of spreading the Fair Trade message. We’re really delighted that Shared Earth is helping us promote the launch of the MISSION:POSSIBLE campaign in Birmingham. The success of Shared Earth is a testament to how popular Fair Trade and ethically sourced products are in the area. Shared Earth stores stock the full range of Divine and Dubble products and we’re hoping that other shops in Birmingham will follow their example and give Fair Trade goods a go!”

The Shared Earth store in Birmingham is the largest Fair Trade store in the UK with over 5,000 different products. It opened in 1992 and despite the current economic downturn, sales are 7% up on last year showing that people increasingly care about the products they buy. With 10 staff the store is open 7 days a week and many products can be found and bought online at www.sharedearth.co.uk.

Shared Earth was founded in 1986 and now sources its products from 15 countries through 37 producers. It aims to double the sales of non-food Fair Trade products in the UK through its plans to grow through franchising, which is the first Fair Trade franchise to be available in the UK.

Divine and Shared Earth are both members of IFAT (the world’s global Fair Trade Association) which sets the 10 standards of Fair Trade world-wide. Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth is delighted with the visit to promote Fair Trade, “It is great to have the link across the two sectors of handicrafts and Fair Trade food. Producers throughout the world make beautiful Fair Trade crafts as well as the food you see in the supermarkets. This campaign carries the vital message that all trade should ultimately be fair.”

Lynne concludes, “This is an exciting chance for these children to experience first hand their products being displayed and sold in the UK and really feel that they can make a difference to promote Fair Trade.”

Shared Earth’s Birmingham Shop front.

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Shared Earth was delighted to discover that they have been short listed for the Best Multiple Retailer Award 2008 by the prestigious Greats Awards which are to be held in London on 22nd May.

The Greats Awards set out to recognise not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally but highlight many of the finest retailers in the UK.

“I am extremely pleased to be nominated as one of the 5 finalists for the Best Multiple Retailer Gifts category. I see this as recognition not just for Shared Earth, but for our staff and producers in over 30 countries. We strive endlessly to improve the lives of so many people and establish community programs world-wide. It is good to know that our efforts are also rewarded and recognised in this professional way,” comments Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth.

Shared Earth also campaigns heavily for the reduced use of plastic bags and currently offer a selection of reusable jute bags in a variety of colours with different slogans including ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, ‘Use me till me bottom wears out’ and  ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’. They also backed the Daily Mail’s Banish the Bag campaign recently.

“We have always aimed to address the imbalance of wealth, working together with people from different cultures,” explains Jeremy who founded Shared Earth 1986 to increase the sales of fairly traded goods.

As well as being the UK’s largest independent retailer of non-food Fair Trade products, Shared Earth offer the best selection of recycled products, including bags made from crisp packets in bangladesh, toy cars made from tin cans in Madagascar, office stationery from computer boards in the UK, wall hangings from old saris in India and jewellery from recycled glass in Chile.

Late last year, Shared Earth also launched the first Fair Trade franchise in the UK which is capable of doubling the sales of independent non-food Fair Trade products sold nationally. This is an exciting development which has opened up the industry with a wealth of new opportunities for many individuals who wish to work for themselves in a fairly traded retail environment.

Visit www.sharedearth.co.uk for more information or go to http://www.max-publishing.co.uk/awards-home-page.html to find out more about the awards categories and entries.

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Shared Earth fans were delighted to see a Shared Earth jute bag being used on the Gavin and Stacey show on Sunday 6th April.

It was used in a scene with the actor Alison Steadman, who plays Pam; Gavin’s neurotic Essex mum, as she entered her house with her shopping stacked into one of Shared Earth’s reusable jute bags.

“We’re delighted to see the bags being used, especially on the TV,” comments Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth.

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Places are now being booked for the next Discovery Day on 8th May 2008 at the Shared Earth head office in York.

Shared Earth founder, Jeremy Piercy has been delighted at the huge initial response to the publicity about the franchise opportunity. The franchise has attracted national press interest from newspapers such as the Daily Mail, Daily Express and the Sunday Mirror.

So far, Shared Earth have undertaken two Discovery Days where interested individuals receive a behind the scenes tour of the York head office. To book on the next Discovery Day email franchise@sharedearth.co.uk

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Shared Earth offer a comprehensive training program, as part of their Fair Trade franchise package, which includes accompanying Jeremy and his team of designers on a trip to a developing country!

Jeremy and his team have recently returned from a two week trip to India where he took 12 staff to visit producer workshops, select new products and review the Fair Trade projects helping to improve the lives of many people.

New franchisees will spend time at Shared Earth’s York head office as part of their training. Full launch support is provided along with the operations manual, marketing and PR assistance. With the average sales from a Shared Earth shop being around £300,000 per year, it is a great time to get involved.

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There are still millions of children around the world who work long hours in sweatshops and millions of people working in unsafe, unhygienic conditions to earn a wage which is insufficient to feed their families.

Fair Trade ensures that producers are paid reasonable prices for their work, child labour is avoided, working conditions are decent and sustainable materials are used wherever possible. Fair Trade tries to help those at the bottom of society, those who are the least well off, and to support communities, not just individuals.

The Shared Earth franchise package is being offered to those people who are interested in owning an ethical business which will assist in the continuing development of Fair Trade and a promise of a fairer wage to those with the skills to produce products that UK consumers really want to buy. This has nothing to do with price. It’s simply that people like to feel they’re making the world a better place to live in.

Jeremy explains “Fair Trade is here to stay. People have begun to realise that enormous poverty in a world of plenty is not right - that we shouldn’t be buying goods that have been made by people who earn less than $1 a day, who are struggling to put food on the table, who can’t afford to send their children to school.”

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Shared Earth’s recent trip to India was a huge success with news stories being printed all over the UK in magazines and newspapers.

Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth organised the India trip, “During our visit we reviewed a selection of Fair Trade projects set up by Indian suppliers, which are designed to give back to the community. We visited a slum school, orphanage, workshops and schools all of which have been set up or funded through Fair Trade. It was a pleasure to view the progress and positive impact for workers, families and communities. With an increase in sales of 8% within our shops, we are hopeful of a positive take up for our Shared Earth franchise package which is the first of its kind within the UK. This project will undoubtedly give even more work to world-wide handicraft suppliers, giving this industry a real boost.”

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Shared Earth imports its own branded unique jewellery, fashion accessories, wood, ceramics, paper, soapstone and kids ranges which add to the sustainability of the retail operation. Shared Earth’s specialist design team continually review consumer and industry trends to ensure that a balanced and current product range is on offer. The team also work with other Fair Trade organisations such as Oxfam to assist them in reviewing product ranges and to increase the amount of work that is available to the world wide artisans that produce an array of goods for sale in the UK and in Shared Earth’s shops.

The exclusivity potential of the Shared Earth franchise is backed by the fact that Shared Earth is the largest retailer and wholesaler of Fair Trade products in the UK. This experience and skill sits behind the franchise package which ensures that each and every new franchise gets the best in consumer research, new product developments and assistance in retailing. With all this in mind, new franchisees will know they are in good hands.

With Fair Trade sales booming, more and more employment is being provided for artisans in developing countries, thus increasing the opportunity for future new product development and new supply channels for Shared Earth and their franchisees. At a time when global conflict seems also on the increase, Shared Earth’s partnerships with producers are an invaluable way of building bridges, showing that people can work together for mutual benefit, no matter what their race, religion or culture.

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In the UK, consumers are buying more Fair Trade products than ever before which is having a real positive impact. British consumers see the true value in purchasing individual gifts which benefit everyone in the supply chain as well as offering the customer value for money and unique hand-made products.

Jeremy Piercy, Fair Trade guru and founder of Shared Earth has extensive knowledge of this particular industry and regularly travels to places such as India, Nepal and The Philippines to work with dedicated producers to ensure that the exact specifications are met. “We are unusual in the fact that we have a specialist team of in-house designers which spot trends and respond quickly to changes in fashion and consumer tastes. We are unique in the way we work because we fit our product ranges around consumer needs, keeping a fresh customer orientated focus, offering products that people really want to buy,” explains Jeremy.

The franchise, which is fully supported by Jeremy and his team of experts within the Fair Trade industry, offers the right person a fabulous opportunity to build an ethical profitable business. “We have always aimed to address the imbalance of wealth, working together with people from different cultures while earning a decent living and, because we make good profits, we are able to offer our suppliers in the third world a good and fair price for their products,” adds Jeremy.

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As well as the expert assistance from Shared Earth’s dedicated team of Fair Trade designers, Shared Earth’s head office will be providing specific and professional training to ensure that its new franchisees continue the success of the seven existing shops.

Shared Earth has employed the assistance of a specialist and ethical franchise marketing house to ensure that the individual needs of the franchisee and its geographical area are met. Each new franchisee will be offered specific marketing training and support through a detailed start up plan which takes the franchisee through the weeks prior to the launch of their shop and post-launch marketing and promotional activities. An ongoing and continual plan will also be set to monitor progress and track return on investment.

While this ensures that every Shared Earth franchise has the best possible chance of success, it will also allow its new owner to understand much more about marketing and making their business profitable for themselves as well as the artisans producing the products.

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York based franchisor Shared Earth launched its franchise operation a few months ago which offers serious entrepreneurs, with an eye for a solid profitable business model, the opportunity to become part of the first Fair Trade franchising operation in the UK.

Established in 1986 Shared Earth has led the Fair Trade industry for over two decades, focusing on delivering products that consumers want by managing the design and development in-house. Sales are buoyant across all of its retail outlets, showing significant opportunity and demand UK wide.

“We are looking for individuals with the right qualities who want to own an ethical, profitable business. We are only looking for a small number of franchisees initially so that they receive an excellent level of care,” says Jeremy. 

A wide choice of territories are currently available so it couldn’t be a better time to get involved in this growing industry. For more information about a Shared Earth franchise go to www.sharedearth.co.uk or call on 01904 636400 or email franchising@sharedearth.co.uk to request a franchise prospectus.

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