Jul 17, 2009

Fair Trade and Green Products Still Doing Well Even in Hard Economic Times

A recent study conducted by the Ethical Corporation Institute (ECI) has found that consumers are continuing to buy ethical products despite the state of the economy. Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance certified items are especially in demand. An increase in consumer awareness, a continuing shift towards sustainability, and the desire to improve a company image can all be linked to the increase in popularity of ethical products. Handmade Expressions has been finding new ways to meet this demand for over three years, fueling the growth of the company as well as the innovation of its products.

Customers want to know exactly where their products are coming from, what they are made of, and if they make a positive impact in the world. They want to make sure they support products and companies that are aligned with their values. In order to meet these intangible needs, Handmade Expressions has developed “feel good” products following strict Fair Trade and environmental standards. “It’s not enough to just offer ethical products. Communicating the ethical aspects of our products well helps our partner retailers sell Fair Trade products more effectively” says Manish Gupta, founder of Handmade Expressions. “Although Fair Trade is growing fast, we need to educate many customers and retailers about what [Fair Trade] is and why they should support it”, Gupta continues. In order to aide its retail partners, Handmade Expressions attaches tags on their products with pictures of artisans crafting that particular item. The tags have the definition of Fair Trade, a brief story of how the product was made, as well as reasons to support Fair Trade. Moreover, they are offering a wide range of marketing materials for retailers who work with them, including flyers, posters and high resolution artisan images.

For this fall 2009 season, Handmade Expressions is introducing an entire new line of Fair Trade items with positive messages on them. Bags, scarves and even journals display words such as “Love”, “Hope”, “I AM FAIR TRADE”, “RECYCLE”, and the like.

Handmade Expressions will be attending the California Gift Fair July 17 – 20, 2009. They welcome the opportunity to share some of their newest products with retailers and industry publications editors. Please come by booth number #1019-21 in the Handmade Section. Manish Gupta, founder of Handmade Expressions, will be on hand throughout the show and will be happy to provide editors with information about Fair Trade and the latest products from his organization. You can also contact him at 734.834.7921 and manish@handmadeexpressions.net. High-res images of products and producers are available upon request.