Turning Travel Cases and Bags into a Fair Trade Expression

It’s amazing when you think about it, how much stuff we carry with us when we travel a short ways for a gym workout or on a long vacation journey abroad. Of course there are purses for women (and shoulder bags for men) that hold the objects that travel with us. But beyond purses, there are dozens of cases, bags, totes and luggage that come along with us draped on our shoulders, or stored in airplane bins. Many of these items are now available in fair trade, eco friendly versions that are beautifully hand crafted by skilled artisans. Now, your carrying cases and luggage can not only reflect your travel taste and persona but also declare you’re practicing socially conscious buying—even as you travel to many of the countries these products are made in.

Kids are getting in on the action for fair trade school bags, asking their moms to get them one, or their moms starting to teach their children well about social responsibility in today’s global economy.

Yoga is still one of the fastest growing exercise/relaxation pursuits and nothing captures the ethical underpinnings of yoga better than having a yoga mat carrying case that’s fair trade and hand made.

From laptop carrying cases, to toiletry bags, to weekender bags, the new fashion trend for both travelers and those of us that are simply schlepping our belongings, is to have products that pay their crafters fairly, make sure they have very good working conditions and that the entire process is environmentally friendly.

We have all these cases and totes and bags at Shopping for aChange in gorgeous color selections and great prices. The quality is superb and truly meant to be long lasting.

If you’re shopping for Spring, please take a moment to browse through our jewelry and accessory collections which are among the best curated collections available. Remember, we are nonprofit, and more of your purchase dollars go to the artisans and their community improvement projects.

Please pin us on Pinterest, like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

How Wearing or Using Fair Trade Cottage Industry Unites Us

In today’s world of instant communication, pictures, videos, opinions, news (not only in hard news but among our circle of friends or interests), a lot of thinkers feel the global community has grown closer together. It is more unified. Yet, techno-communications aside, there are actually larger forces drawing ethnic, lingual and economic groups into a single entity. One of these forces is fair trade, not only fair trade food stuffs, but fair trade fashion, accessories, jewelry and home decor products.

The nature of shopping and buying fair trade (which is also usually eco friendly) is that it transforms our consciousness, it changes our perceptions more powerfully than a passive receiving of news or a reach out to a friend. In fair trade we are actually making a very real difference in the lives of the artisans who craft the products. These are people we will never meet, yet feel vicariously close to as we shop for and purchase the products made by their hands. In a real sense we participate in their lives. And, of course, we are helping to improve their lives. The interesting aspect of fair trade is that it is so truly global, from so many countries on so many continents. There is the catch phrase “socially conscious” which signifies part of this unifying process. Finally, some of the world’s largest companies such as Walmart and Apple have taken aggressive steps to change their business ethos, that once gave little thought to ethics and social consciousness. A push for that change was public driven, after consumers became more educated and sensitive to all that’s involved before a product reaches their hands.

Buying fair trade fashion, jewelry, accessories, baby items or home décor means far more than the act of consumer purchasing. It is a profound participation in a new paradigm, even a new responsibility as the world becomes more ethically conscious of itself. 

Please check out our latest products as we offer fresh items for the spring and summer. Our jewelry and accessory selections are among the best curated collections available. Remember, we are nonprofit, and more of your purchase dollars goes to the artisans and their community improvement projects.

Please pin us on Pinterest, like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Fair Trade Fashion, Accessory and Décor Shopping—Generation Z Jumping In

While the fair trade shopping movement for fashion, accessories, jewelry, and home décor is certainly cross generational in terms of baby boomers, post baby boomers, millennials and Generation Z (born 1990 and onwards) there are certain pointers that state Gen Z may be a break out consumer demographic for ethical and eco friendly purchasing.

Jennifer Nini in her blog made several points on the buying mindset of Generation Z.

They are looking for meaningful experience. Rather than just getting a job for the money, many Gen Zs are seeking meaning in their livelihood and a purpose in their life other than being consumers. Part of their value systems are socially responsible partnerships.

While millennials were likely to have inheritances coming their way (from baby boomer or post baby boomer parents) Generation Z is not in the inheritance cycle, or much less so. They have less spare cash and are therefore more careful and choosy in their shopping, and are also more satisfied with having less. And that less should contribute to their worldview.

Gen Z is living authentically. Buying habits are shifting to real handmade, to real ecologically friendly, to real economic fairness. Coolness is in for second hand apparel that is effectively recycled and bragging about it, or jewelry and accessories made from recycled materials.

No matter your generation or your age, if you’re aware of the power of fair trade in terms of a new consumer paradigm and a socially conscious philosophical statement you’ll be very interested in our SFAC collections. For the upcoming summer, we’ve got great jewelry and accessory collections and we have the best sales on the internet. Come in to our nonprofit online store, and enjoy the difference.

Please pin us on Pinterest, like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Fair Trade Entrepreneur Stacey Horowitz Talks 5 Ways for Social Good

In the world of fair trade jewelry, accessories or home décor (and other cottage manufactured products) there is a lot of good being done socially, economically and environmentally. That’s why fair trade is referred to as socially conscious and eco friendly. It is a business model that has a conscience.

Stacey Horowitz, CEO and founder of Shopping for a Change, recently wrote an article for entrepreneur.com on “5 Ways to Integrate Social Good into Your Business.” The following is a digest of the full article that is here (link).

1. Start with a strategy: Assess your brand‘s mission, values, products, services and stakeholders. How is what you’re already doing contributing to society? How can you take that one step further? Or: What needs fixing?

2. Make friends: If you’re not ready to develop your own cause-driven program from scratch, a good alternative is to develop partnerships with existing charities. Twillory, an online men’s clothing retailer, partnered with Career Gear -- a charity that helps men in need get back into and succeed in the workforce -- to develop a clothes-repurposing program.

3. Engage your employees: What do IBM, Dell and PNC all have in common? Probably several things, but what's most important is that they offer paid time off for employees to volunteer. Commonly referred to as VTO, volunteer time off lets employees give back to their communities in an outlet of their choosing. From helping repaint schools to offering pro bono consulting, employee volunteers could be diversifying your company’s outreach, as well.

4. Assume responsibility: As you would for any other business agenda, track the progress of your initiatives to assess whether you’re meeting your goals. Instead of allowing your mission to fizzle out mid-year -- like a New Year’s resolution -- develop a method for seeing that your social good efforts are maintained. Sometimes, that means putting one person, or team in charge of social programs, or being prepared to wear many hats.

5. Take it slowly: In the end, any step you take toward helping solve a social problem or genuinely giving back to the community is itself a social good. So, take things slowly, act responsibly and do what is most meaningful to your brand, consumers and employees; in no time, you’ll see the difference.

At SFAC, along with the social good we’re consciously practicing, we are also striving to bring you the best fair trade products available anywhere, including baby gift items, or the latest in a fun spring look in fair trade eco friendly accessories. You will also find great bargains in our clearance sale.

Fair Trade Candles Made with Rubble from Haiti 2010 Earthquake

It’s not often that we have an opportunity to participate in a project and fair trade product that has so much pathos and meaning. One of the new products we’ve recently added to our online SFAC store does carry such meaningful weight, in the form of candles inset into strikingly beautiful holders crafted from Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. The candles are made by Haitian artisans associated with Prosperity Candle and Prosperity Catalyst, two nonprofits dedicated to the continuing rebuilding of lives in Haiti—including women entrepreneurs. The candles symbolize light from darkness and a brighter future ahead. The blog site for Prosperity Candle says, “Turning these blocks into smooth candle holders is a slow process done entirely by hand from start to finish. No two pieces are exactly the same depending on the material we receive.”

There are two main styles: Pillar, and Centerpiece. Each candle is produced expressly for you, according to your choice of style, color, and fragrance—made from concrete rubble. Votive candles fit into the three receptacle holes lined with recycled aluminum.

We’re always adding to our store collections so we invite you to check back often to see what’s fresh and exciting. For this month, take a look at the Jewelry and Accessories pages. Always fair trade, eco friendly green, handmade, and socially conscious.

Like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Millennials Shopping Fair Trade Products With Individualistic Mindset

The big box or upscale brick and mortar retail stores are feeling the impact of millennial generation shoppers looking for more targeted, niche, extraordinary shopping of clothing, accessories, jewelry, home décor, and more at very specialized online stores. Millennials (and other shopping demographics) are looking for higher quality brands and more interesting, engaging products. That’s part of the reason why Shopping for a Change exists: to provide shoppers with superb quality, originally designed, fair trade products that are individualistic and socially conscious.

A story in the San Francisco Chronicle titled “Millennial Shoppers Embrace Rebranded Basics” talked about the new individualization and branding trend: “A new generation of consumers is rethinking the way that they buy stuff,” says Jess Lee, who co-founded women’s lifestyle brand Modern Citizen online in 2014 after three years at Gap’s strategy and business development division. “It’s a very different story now. It’s very individual and very me-centric. ‘This is who I am. This is what I look like. And these are the brands that cater to me.’”

We feel that Millennials and other generational shoppers who are looking for a brand or individual look will find our items very appealing. Each item is handmade, and originally designed, plus being eco friendly.

We always have great prices for handmade fair trade products at our Clearance sale page, and throughout our site If you’re looking for baby or toddler products, please click here. And our Jewelry collection, like everything else, is curated, extensive, and unique.

Please visit us frequently during 2016 as new selections will arrive throughout the year. Like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The New Shopping Paradigm: Fair Trade and Crafted by Hand

Handmade as a defining shopping paradigm is in, and fair trade cottage industry manufacturing is driving it. Even the US State Department is recognizing this, as a NPR story last month talked about Secretary of State John Kerry promoting small cottage industries that make well-crafted products by hand. And now with the fair trade momentum making handmade goods (that are paid fairly) available everywhere (including online, such as our Shopping for a Change store), the shift to Western affluent nations buying hand crafted goods is becoming a very large metric.

In Kerry’s talks, he emphasizes that the hand crafted industries found in 3 continents (and now involves hundreds of companies and organizations) has the potential to improve the lives of the individuals who make them. And that is the purpose of fair trade—to provide a global market for the goods, and a living wage for the artisans crafting the goods.

Kerry said in the story, "Consumers today care more and more about where something comes from, who produced it, under what conditions did they produce it."

A growing number of Americans, says Tori Mellott, senior editor at Traditional Home, are looking for something that's got a human touch behind it: "We live in a world of plastic and screens. We want something personal." And products that can both support craftspeople and be practical for the customer pack the ultimate "double punch."

We’re proud to be a part of this growing trend and movement, and we’re proud to be nonprofit, which means more of the dollars coming in for purchasing our goods goes back to the artisans and their communities.

We always have great prices for handmade fair trade products at our Clearance sale page (link). Among the most popular items consumers purchase as hand crafted are jewelry and accessories, and we encourage you to browse our collections.

Please visit us frequently during 2016 as new selections will arrive throughout the year. Like us on Facebook and recommend us to your friends. Shopping for a Change is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.