Some ideas for ethical shopping
More people buying to suit the different philosophies of conscientious commerce
Not long ago, responsible holiday shopping meant wandering a crowded church basement or the aromatic aisles of an import store.
This year, you can just head to the mall as conscious consumerism goes mainstream.
Fashion designer Stella McCartney’s clothing has always been fur-free and vegetarian-friendly, and retailer H& M’s Conscious Collection of environmentally-friendly clothes has been around for years but had little competition.
Now, other large brands have joined in, releasing entire lines of responsibly-produced goods. This year, Adidas created a line of shoes made from recycled ocean plastic. In Canada, trendy Montrealbased vegan handbag makers Matt & Nat expanded from tiny boutiques to Indigo stores and a new line of shoes.
A Vogue editor proclaimed in November she would do all her Christmas shopping at Rêve En Vert, a website selling fashion-forward but sustainable clothing. “The customer is demanding transparency,” that site’s founder told the magazine.
That momentum has made it easier for local businesses hawking their version of sustainable wares that are cruelty-free, handmade or upcycled.
Downtown at the Eaton Centre, Me to We, a global social enterprise that opened a store this year, sells trendy beaded chokers handmade in Kenya. At Yorkdale Shopping Centre, tucked in among highend stores selling Swarovski crystals and European watches, a pop-up called Brika is selling hand-poured candles and iPhone cases made with pressed flowers crafted by local artisans.
Brika was founded as a website in 2012 by Torontonians Kena Paranjape and Jennifer Koss. They wanted to create a more curated online marketplace and gather quality goods made by individual craftspeople into one spot.
They’ve since opened two brick-andmortar locations and three pop-ups, in the PATH, Yorkville and Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and represent the work of more than 500 artisans. Interest in goods that are maker-made, rather than massproduced, is growing, Paranjape said.
“Instead of supporting a massive business where most of the product is made overseas, oftentimes unethically, you’re supporting this person who is pouring their passion into their livelihood,” Paranjape said.
“We think it’s a new way of shopping, being more mindful when we buy things.
“When you go into half the stores in the mall, you really don’t know where that product is coming from.”
Some customers will complain about higher prices for items that are hand-tinted with vegetable dyes made by a local artisan, but others are willing to pay a premium for responsibly made products.
“We’ve seen it turn from a trend to more of a movement,” Paranjape said.
“When (consumers) shop from a maker, it’s something they can feel good about. There’s no guilt involved.”
According to the 2016 Holiday Outlook report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the global professional services firm and auditor, nearly two-thirds of consumers said “they hold retailers in high esteem who translate shared values into action — by way of charitable donations, sustainability and community involvement.”
A third of shoppers planned to spend more at those stores and 75 per cent planned to shop local.
“From hipsters to higher-income households to socially and environmentally conscious consumers, niche retailers are stepping in to respond to the call for new and different holiday gifts,” says the report, based on focus groups and a survey of more than 2,300 consumers and 200 retailers in the U.S.
A Canadian version of the report suggested shoppers, especially millennials, “prefer local retailers that are committed to corporate responsibility — by boosting local employment, making charitable contributions, producing local goods and translating values into action.”
Although shoppers are more conscientious than ever, purchasing habits don’t always match intentions, said June Cotte, marketing professor at Western University’s Ivey Business School, who studies consumer behaviour and ethical consumption.
That might be due to the price premium, confusing labelling, lack of information or ethical trade-offs, she said.
Something might be made locally but out of plastic, recycled but not vegan, organic but manufactured by a company with questionable labour practices.
If you want to make an ethical choice, Cotte also recommends buying from local crafts people.
“You can ask them where they got their supplies,” Cotte said.