Fair-trade store coming to town

If you’ve been searching for a true international shopping experience, Bloomington might soon have the answer.

Global Gifts, a store selling crafts and other handmade items from more than 35 countries around the world, is scheduled to open in August in the downtown area.
Fair Trade Bloomington Inc. has partnered with Global Gifts, because the nonprofit organization has more than 20 years of experience in running a sustainable nonprofit retail store, according to a press release.

Fair Trade Bloomington has been a student-based interest group in Bloomington for about four years, said Mary Embry, president of the organization.

The mission of the fair-trade movement is ultimately to ensure that all parties involved in business transactions are being paid and treated fairly, said Sam Carpenter, the general manager of Global Gifts in Indianapolis.

In order to establish the fair-trade store in Bloomington, Embry decided to enlist the help of the Global Gifts stores in Indianapolis because of their success there.

“Mary has been a volunteer with Global Gifts in Indy,” Carpenter said. “She was extremely excited about opening a fair-trade store in Bloomington and really getting the students involved.”

Embry said he believes the store will be a good addition to Bloomington, because it offers goods not only produced in fair-wage environments but also in an eco-friendly manner.

Besides fair wages and treatment, another goal of the fair-trade movement is to help people in different countries who have trouble sustaining themselves and their families by providing them with not just aid, but a way to consistently make fair wages.

Additionally, the store will endeavor to bring several different cultural identities to Bloomington.

“There are ultimately a lot of very unique things in this store that are extremely representative of the country’s culture in which they came from,” Carpenter said. “It is a very fun environment.”

The creation of the store in Bloomington will bring about a one-of-a-kind store that not only promotes ethically-made and obtained handmade products, but also educates about different cultures around the world, according to the Global Gifts Web site.

A combination of things ranging from student excitement to the educational aspects of fair trade has caused anticipation about the store’s opening, Carpenter said.

Not only will the Bloomington store be run locally and use local volunteers, but the profits of the store will also be redistributed locally, Embry said.