Fall 2012

Baby Boom By Caletha Crawford

A Budding Success

When it was time to launch The Greener Good, it’s only natural that the baby department was a big focus since the impending birth of her daughter is what planted the seed for Liz Johnston in the first place. While pregnant, Johnston had to hunt high and low in order to piece together her daughter’s eco-friendly nursery and wardrobe. Finally, she decided there needed to be a one-stop shop. Unfortunately the economy wilted in 2008 just months before the store’s launch so she and her business partners decided to debut the venture online.

While sales were good, the shop really blossomed once the owners put down roots in a brick-and-mortar location in an artsy area of Fort Worth, Texas. “The increased overhead was a big step, but it was worth it because three years ago, these products were still new to people,” she recalls. “For instance, I could tell people that bamboo sheets are soft but they really needed to interact with the products themselves.”

The concept was so successful that the store has since moved to a location that’s three times the size. Today, The Greener Good offers women’s apparel, personal care items, bedding and building products along with baby goods. Johnston sources the assortment—which is all fair trade or made in the U.S.—from local mom-and-pop vendors in order to come up with a steady supply of fun, new and unique items. Her top picks for baby have been Green Toys, which produces its recycled items from milk jugs; Apple Park organic lovies and soft blocks; and Nature’s Paradise diaper cream.

While she’s aware that the inevitable higher prices can sometimes stunt the prospects for eco stores, The Greener Good strives to keep average tickets reasonable. “We try to make everything we sell as accessible as possible,” she says. “That’s because we want people to use the products because we believe they are better for you.”

For stores looking to cultivate an eco-friendly baby section, Johnston says the secret to The Greener Good’s success is the owners’ passion for the category. “Make sure you can stand behind the products you sell,” she says. “Start with something that is important to you. If you have an attachment to it and a belief in it, you’ll sell it better.”

Caletha Crawford

Caletha Crawford is a children's apparel expert, who consults with businesses in the industry on branding, launch strategies and marketing. Through her role as part-time faculty at Parsons, she continues her commitment to aiding emerging designers. She writes for a variety of publications and is addicted to playing Scrabble on her iPad.