Franchisor News Spring 2008

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Shared Earth has embarked on a carbon footprint project to calculate the combined impact the business, its employees and franchisees are having on the planet. This footprint will then be offset by a tree planting scheme later this year.

Part of Shared Earth’s new development process involves travelling to supplier countries to work with artisans. For an ethical and fair trading company like Shared Earth, the carbon emissions generated through these visits and other staff travel has conflicted with their values and created an ethical environmental dilemma.

Shop Assistant Manager, Laura Wilson, leads the project. “It is impossible to ignore the damage that humankind is causing the planet and the severity of the consequences of climate change if we do not act now. Travel is a necessary part of the job for some Shared Earth employees and franchisees, but this also means carbon emissions. Second best to not travelling at all is to travel responsibly by offsetting those emissions.”

As carbon offsetting becomes increasingly important in a company’s corporate social responsibility strategy, it is also becoming increasingly important to franchisees who want to own an ethical business that customers trust.

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York News and Times May 2008

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Mail on Sunday June 2008

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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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Gift and Housewares Magazine Spring 2008

                           
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As we reported in our last issue of Gifts and Housewares, Jeremy Piercy and his team of Fair Trade crusaders were making their way to India to work alongside artisans there, to monitor the progress that had been made and see the difference that a fair trading company can make to these people’s lives. The trip was a tremendous success and in the two weeks that the team was there, a lot was seen and a great experience was gained. Both rewarding for the team and the people of India, places visited included Delhi, Agra, Saharanpur and Kolkata, where suppliers were working with hundreds of Indian producers to deliver Fair Trade products on a worldwide scale. The Shared Earth team was taken to a slum, orphanage, villages, cities and funded schools travelling right across India to discover the real positive impact that Fair Trade is making on the lives of the workers and their families. (more…)

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What Franchise Magazine Summer 2008

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York News and Times April 2008

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With the launch of the first Fair Trade franchise in the UK, an outstanding team and a trend towards environmentally friendly retailing, York based company Shared Earth is exceeding expectations.

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. (more…)

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WiRED Magazine Spring 2008

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Monday 7th January 2008

We arrived in India yesterday with 9 of the Shared Earth team. We have a tight schedule visiting slums, orphanages, schools and producer workshops to witness the results of Fair Trade working practices.

Today we are visiting TARA Projects, a Fair Trade producer, and I’m interviewing two adults who were previously child workers in Delhi. Communicating their experiences back in UK is vital to strengthen the connection between purchasing Fair Trade products and the real benefits Fair Trade producers provide their workers, workers families and children. (more…)

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Making Money April 2008

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With 20 new Fair Trade shops planned within the next five years, the UK can expect to see a huge increase in the sales of non-food fairly traded products.

Jeremy Piercy has worked within the Fair Trade industry for the past 20 years. He is well known for assisting overseas producers to help talented artisans create sustainable businesses to support entire communities in the developing world. (more…)

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The Franchise Shop March 2008

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New Consumer March 2008

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Fair Trade is giving these Delhi children an alternative future. Sarah Dyer follows Fair Trade retailer Shared Earth to find out how…

We were given a warm welcome this afternoon, as we arrived at the Indira Camp School, based in one of Delhi’s biggest slums. Greeted with garlands made by the children, and treated to dancing, singing and a short play about their understanding of Fair Trade, it was a heartening beginning to our trip. (more…)

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Ethical Living March 2008

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Shared Earth’s recent trip to India was a huge success. Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth said, “During our visit we reviewed a selection of Fair Trade products set up by Indian suppliers. We visited a slum school, orphanage, workshops and schools, all of which have been set up or funded through Fair Trade. (more…)

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Gift Focus, January 2008

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Jeremy Piercy is one of a growing breed of entrepreneurs proving it is possible to trade fairly and be successful.

Despite a difficult retail climate in the UK in recent years, Shared Earth’s seven shops have continued to thrive. Now founder Jeremy Piercy is hoping to double fair trade sales in the UK over the next five years by franchising the business model. He feels strongly that the time is now right to provide an array of fairly traded goods to customers, hungry for ethical products. (more…)

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Ethical Living, January 2008

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Interest in fair trade shows no sign of slowing. “Fair trade is here to stay,” says Jeremy Piercy of Shared Earth. “People have begun to realise that enormous poverty in a world of plenty is not right. It’s picking up momentum all the time because people know it’s a just movement and want to do something to help.“

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Making Money, January 2008

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Shared Earth is currently booking places on its second Discovery Day on February 12 after the huge success of its first one in November.

Since the launch of Shared Earth’s franchise scheme in October 2007, over 100 people have expressed strong interest in the concept, including two current wholesale customers. (more…)

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Giftware Review, January 2008

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York based company Shared Earth recognised the need for fair-trade way back in 1986 developing products with more than 30 producers across the world. Spotting the trend in the market place and now with 7 stores across the UK, this retailer and wholesaler has recently launched the first Fairtrade franchising operation in the UK. Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth, has extensive knowledge of this industry and regularly travels to India, Nepal and The Philippines to work with dedicated producers. Jeremy says, “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.”

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Making Money, November 2007

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

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

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Progressive Gifts, November 2007

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Shared Earth Looks To Open New Outlets

Having spent over 20 years retailing and wholesaling fair trade gifts and cards, Jeremy Piercy, founder and MD of Shared Earth, will be opening 15-20 franchised, Shared Earth outlets over the next five years, making it the first fair trade franchise operation in the UK.Having given a seminar at the recent Autumn Fair, he will be advertising for franchisees in the national press.‘We are looking for individuals with the right qualities who want to own an ethical, profitable business. (more…)

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New Consumer, November 2007

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Shared Earth Franchise Out

With 20 new Shared Earth Fair Trade shops planned within the next 5 years, the UK can expect to see a huge increase in the sale of non-food fairly traded products. With average sales from a fair trade shop being around £75,000 per annum, Jeremy Piercy’s Shared Earth seven retail shops currently generate an average of £300,000. (more…)

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Progressive Gifts, October 2007

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The last couple of years have seen corporate social responsibility and the green theme rise in importance to the top of the agendas of businesses, political parties and individuals alike.

For Jeremy Piercy, founder and Managing Director of Shared Earth, this is no new found approach – as he explained to the packed audience at the recent Autumn Fair, he has been retailing and wholesaling fair trade and environmentally aware greeting cards, stationery and gift products for 20 years. (more…)

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Business Franchise, October 2007

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Shared Earth is the first Fair Trade franchisor to launch in the UK. Business Franchise outlines what you can expect if you sign up…

York-based franchisor Shared Earth launches its franchise operation this month, which offer 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. (more…)

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