Dreaming of a fair trade Christmas - new shop in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford Herald November 2008
An ethical Stratford shop with a difference has opened just in time for the Christmas rush, and is further enhancing the credentials of the town’s official Fairtrade status.
The shop stocks among a range of 5,500 different gifts from around the world, boxes made from recycled crisp packets, note books made from recycled car tyres and photo albums made from bamboo.
Area shops manager Lynne Dawson explains that Stratford had been carefully selected as the retailer’s next location. “We are hopeful that we will do well here. We place ourselves in the hands of the good people of Stratford and hope they like our products, and support us in what we do,” she told the Herald this week.
“We are the biggest non-food fair trade company in the country, but we want people to come here because our stock is beautiful and the fair trade is a bonus, rather than being a sympathy vote.
“We regularly go out to where our stock is made and meet the people who make it. Cambodia and Vietnam have always been into recycling things. Because they don’t tend to have much, they make the most of what they do have.”
Shared Earth began as a small shop in York 22 years ago in October 1986. Its founder, Jeremy Piercy, travelled to India after leaving school and wanted to do something to help redress the imbalance of wealth in the world. Fair trade was the obvious answer and the original shop contained a wide mix of products from Asia, Africa and South America.
“We felt there were still a lot of independent traders in Stratford and we felt we fitted in with that. The big out of town shops can house the big brands but we are better here, and we hope tourists and local people like what we do,” Ms Dawson added.
Also high on the agenda is addressing environmental problems and all Shared Earth shops sell a huge range of recycled and sustainable products including stationery, jewellery, toys, games and Christmas cards.
