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'Conscious Commerce' opens eye, minds |
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Marta Swain’s customers feel good both in
and about the apparel they find in her store, “Hemp Goods
Etc.” in Grand Rapids.
According to Swain, responsible manufacturing includes
everything from environmentally friendly materials and processes to fair
wages and favorable working conditions. Customers in her store are encouraged
to “celebrate conscious commerce”—that is, to take interest
in where their dollars are going and what they are supporting. Swain works to remove the confusion between industrial
hemp, “an economically viable commodity for countless uses over thousands
of years,” and marijuana, making it clear that industrial hemp is
chemically distinct from marijuana. She also clarifies that the ban on growing hemp in the
United States “is the result of politics used to prevent hemp from
competing with other industries, such as forestry, petroleum and conventional
cotton.” She hopes to see a more level playing field for a plant
that has so much to offer our culture and economy. Swain is clearly not your typical retailer. An environmental
educator for 20 years, she had little interest in business until she read
a life-changing book by Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce. She
then began to see the business world not only as compatible with her life’s
mission, but as an exciting challenge that could take her passion for
social and environmental responsibility in new directions. “I learned that cotton was the most heavily treated
fiber crop in the world, and I wanted to make an alternative available,”
Swain explains. The benefits of organic cotton and hemp apparel appealed
to her and almost everyone she reached with her newly discovered product.
Sales at small, private gatherings doubled four times within a year, and
the demand for high-quality hemp apparel became apparent. In early 1998, with no experience in retail, she opened
a tiny, 350-square-foot storefront in the Eastown business district of
Grand Rapids, where she turned a $20,000 profit in her first year. Hemp Goods Etc. moved to a larger space in 2000. It expanded
again the following year, to a comfortable 1,700-square-foot space. Swain is also a manufacturer’s rep for several lines
of responsibly manufactured products, showing five times a year at Chicago’s
Merchandise Mart. “I work very closely with my suppliers, in a true
partnership to constantly increase quality and demonstrate integrity,”
she says.
Her business’s growth has been remarkable, given
the challenges of selling products that may be poorly understood. Swain
saw a 25 percent increase in sales last year, when many apparel retailers
were seeing increases below 10 percent. Swain has many fun ways of pitching her objectives. A
beam across the ceiling painted by a local artist invites shoppers to
“Indulge Your Integrity” and “Be Part of the Solution.”
Swain suggests to customers, “If you like it twice as much as your
other shirts, you can afford it.” But advertising has taken
a back seat to word of mouth. Swain’s clientele is “remarkably diverse and
discerning”—representing every age group from infants to the
elderly. Swain receives requests from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles
for products; many of her customers make the trip from Chicago or Detroit.
Swain likes to share “hopeful, good news” about
socially responsible business practices with her colleagues. Other retailers
might be surprised, she believes, at how receptive customers are to the
principles of conscious commerce and to investing in responsibly manufactured
goods. She is a member of several business organizations, including
the Business Alliance for Local Livable Economies (www.livingeconomies.com),
the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and, on a national level,
Co-Op America, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “creating
a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive
change.” She also contributes generously to the Grand Rapids community,
donating goods valued at over $15,000 to women in need. A current community
project involves Grand Rapids Community College’s fashion-design
students and others with sewing talent and a flair for apparel design,
who create artfully original fashions. During Earth Week (April 14-22),
a fashion show and auction will celebrate the project and make these creations
available to the public. Swain’s enthusiasm for her work is apparent in her
every interaction. Her business is an extension of her earlier career
as an educator. She loves to inform as well as learn from others; her
store invites as much exchange of ideas as of money. And her informed
customers return with friends to invest and share the good news. In 20 busy minutes in her store, Swain managed to greet,
share information or answer questions for at least eight customers. She
delights in the products, which come alive as she tells of unusual qualities
and the suppliers that make otherwise unavailable products available. Swain says she has no plans for expanding her store, but
she might work with someone to expand into online sales. The store’s
current website, www.hempgoodsetc.com, focuses on education and community
and refers customers to the actual store for merchandise. But more than selling clothes or finding new suppliers,
Swain cares most about making her industry more socially responsible.
“Too often the apparel industry thrives on buying and selling with
no questions asked,” she laments. “I hope to see this culture’s understanding
of hemp’s role in economic development continue, as well as the role
that responsible business can play in improving everyone’s quality
of life.” This article was written by Amy Buttery. |
That’s
because the store appeals to the small but growing niche of customers
who care about spending their money, in Swain’s words, “on products
that are part of the solution.” Her briefest description of her merchandise
is that it is “highest quality, responsibly manufactured apparel.”
The
“Etc.” in her store’s name covers other clothing and accessories
responsibly manufactured from environmentally friendly materials, such
as organic cotton clothing and imports from cooperatives in developing
countries. Home enhancements, bulk fabric, body care, jewelry, bags and
other accessories also appeal to her clientele and fit with her mission.