getty I’ve spent most of my business life pursuing a dream: developing products that consumers love, made by global artisans in a way that provides decent levels of revenue back to them. To ensure those flows while maintaining profitability, I determined a good approach was shortening our supply chain. The traditional supply chain has a long process, going from the artisan/maker to the exporter and importer, then to the distributor, wholesaler and, finally, the retailer. By acting as the distributor/wholesaler, we can connect more directly with our community of artisans, thereby getting them closer to retailers. Along the way, sustainability has become non-negotiable as environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks and targets have become core pillars in Western economies. The industry has shown that focusing on these factors can force positive change, both for the world and for companies’ profitability. Good Business Sense—And Fair Play Consumers want high-quality, authentic items, but they also want to know that the workers making these products are treated fairly. I work closely with skilled craftspeople in India whose furniture, accessories, textiles and other items are exported all over the world. So, it was very important to be conscious of exploitative labor practices, which […]
How Sustainability, Community And Profitability Interact In Artisan Businesses
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