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Product sharing - sewing machines etc
classes
local charity / school engagement

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-Downfall of sustainability is its inconvenience
-People WILL pay for products at a slightly higher price point if they feel the product offers good quality and something different
-People feel a lack of community in their local areas: something that people do feel as if they would like to feel part of something
-It was discovered that citizens often go out of their way for local, independent stores if they know they are getting knowledge and something different and unique

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-would i have to use wholesalers and a mix of local crafts people to begin with?

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BLUE OCEANS, in contrast, denote all the industries not in existence today - the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid.

In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set. A blue ocean is an analogy to describe the wider, deeper potential to be found in unexplored market space. A blue ocean is vast, deep, and powerful in terms of profitable growth.

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What is Blue Ocean Strategy | About Blue Ocean Strategy

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BLUE OCEANS, in contrast, denote all the industries not in existence today - the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid.

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Models and considerations to use in report:

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Models and considerations to use in report:

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-Marketing Mix
- The USP
-Boston Matrix
-Brand Positioning Map
-Ansoff Matrix
-Steeple
-Porters 5 forces
-The Bullseye framework [?]
-DRIP
-Blue ocean theory
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REI and Patagonia are known for anti-consumption marketing campaigns, and the recent holiday season was no exception. REI was closed for Black Friday the third year in a row and its #OptOutside campaign encouraged people to go for a hike instead of shop.

Meanwhile, Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, published a LinkedIn article titled The End of Consumerism, arguing that consumers should buy the "well-made, the long-lasting and the responsible. And leave the rest on the shelf." Her message echoes the company's famous 2011 Black Friday ad that instructed, "don't buy this jacket."

Are these just marketing ploys under the cover of green? After all, both companies have enjoyed significant sales growth in recent years. REI's net sales grew 5.5 per cent in 2016, and Patagonia's revenue has grown by $250 million since the infamous "don't buy this jacket" ad was launched.

But could it be that this anti-consumerist marketing is good for the business and the world? I think these campaigns count towards the companies' sustainability accolades, and here's why:

Why anti-consumerism marketing helps

Someone's sales are going to grow. Consumer markets around the world will continue to grow as the human population expands and we bring more people out of poverty. It is best for people and the planet that companies with smaller volumes of long-lasting products capture this market opportunity.

Patagonia may fit this description; it offers cheap or sometimes even free product repair and encourages customers to trade in items they no longer wear. Assuming its business model is closer to what we need in tomorrow's markets, hopefully Patagonia can capture market share from companies that focus on being fastest at fast fashion despite the staggering environmental costs.

It changes the conversation about what business models can be successful.The traditional business model is that we make more money by selling more stuff to more people. Expressing a desire to do otherwise is a contrarian and risky position. When successful companies buck the consumerism trend, or even just say they might buck the trend, they challenge deeply ingrained assumptions about what business growth must mean. Patagonia and REI's sales prove that companies can compete on value rather than price and volume. Their willingness to be outspoken may be what we need to shift the conversation.

It uses brand power to shift consumer attitudes. While many companies are engineering greener operational practices, many overlook the power of their brands to create a greener culture. Powerful brands influence consumer perceptions and aspirations and can make up a considerable portion of a company's monetary value. Through artful marketing, REI and Patagonia are trying to shift how we derive fulfillment-from products to experiences, and from buying new and often, to maintaining the old.

It encourages peers to do better. In the apparel industry, massive attention is paid to the runway shows of the most exclusive brands even by millions who will never buy their products. Those styles and trends eventually trickle down to more affordable labels. If Patagonia and REI set the trend-sell clothing meant to last, made from recycled materials-other retailers may follow.

"

My question to you is, what is your company doing in your industry with its brand that is equivalent to, and as bold as, asking customers not to buy a product?

Unanswered questions

There are important limitations that retailers must surmount before the industry reaches a tipping point and stops relying on growing volume of sales.

First, long-lasting products must actually replace products with a shorter lifespan. Is this happening? Are consumers buying the Patagonia jacket with a lifetime guarantee instead of the cheap fast-fashion jacket meant to be trashed at the end of the season, or are they buying both? We'll know we're on the right track when sustainable products displace their less-green competitors' market share.

Second, the strategy of selling fewer, higher-quality items per customer makes good business sense because these companies target affluent customers who can pay premium prices. Retailers that target lower-income consumers who expect low prices may struggle to shift their business model in favour of product longevity. How, then, can retailers serve these customers with long-lasting products while generating sufficient return to satisfy shareholders?

Our research shows that more companies must move in the direction of REI and Patagonia-they must explore business models that meet consumer demand with lower product volumes. Otherwise, we will not be able to meet the needs of our growing population within planetary boundaries. This business model innovation will make or break corporate sustainability in tomorrow's markets. My question to you is, what is your company doing in your industry with its brand that is equivalent to, and as bold as, asking customers not to buy a product?
Kevin Moss is the Global Director of the Business Center, WRI. This post is republished from the WRI blog.

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Don't read this article: How ads against consumerism help sustainability

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REI and Patagonia are known for anti-consumption marketing campaigns, and the recent holiday season was no exception. REI was closed for Black Friday the third year in a row and its #OptOutside campaign encouraged people to go for a hike instead of shop.

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-mainly about foods
-dont like how overpriced and inaccessible it is to the wider consumer

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Are you hungry for better? When it comes to what we put in and on our bodies, Whole Foods Market® believes the full story of those products is important as we make our choices. Join us as we encourage others to celebrate what the Earth gives us with respect, purpose and joy.

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sells everything from cleaning to gifts - I like their product range, similar to what could potentially be sold at mine

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environmentally friendly products for a sustainable future from The Greenshop

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Sells everything ethical online

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Ethical Superstore: Fair Trade, Organic, Vegan & Eco Friendly Products

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Make feel good choices from the largest range of eco, vegan and Fairtrade products sourced from around the world!

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'The first eco department store'

only online

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Natural Beauty, Homewares, Furniture & Eco-Friendly Gifts | Wearth London

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Shop consciously at the eco-friendly and ethical department store. Our luxury range of UK products includes organic skin care, handmade jewellery, stylish homewares and sustainable furniture.

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Relevant Articles to project

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Inside America's Most Sustainable Supermarket

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Austin's in.gredients is the country's first zero-waste, package-free grocer.

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Girlboss Media: Redefining success for ourselves.

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Call us special snowflakes, but we're driving business to do better.

Ah, millennials. We're a generation that wants to steer the boat, and a really cool one at that.

It might be a dinghy starting out (and maybe it never becomes a full-blown yacht,) but we want the business card with the word "founder" printed in effortlessly hip san-serif beneath our name.

While not all of us end up chasing those be-your-own-boss dreams, our attraction to entrepreneurship and small business runs deep: If we're not making it happen ourselves, we'll sure as hell support someone else who is.

A recent report from America's SBDC for the Center for Generational Kinetics found that nearly a third of millennials have started some kind of business and 75% would be encouraged to pursue entrepreneurship if they knew they'd have access to resources.

And where our parent's generation built shopping malls and marveled at the might of giant brands, the pendulum has swung the other way for Millennials; we want to support small brands that tell a story, that value quality and ethics over volume.

And while this isn't the only factor contributing to the rapid closure of retail spaces and the crisis mode currently faced by franchise restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings, Ruby Tuesday and TGI Fridays, it represents a significant shift in culture.

The first answer out of society's mouth is, of course, that we're narcissists who feel entitled to the best and local-est of everything because we received too many participation trophies at some point (yawn.)

But what if we're forgoing Applebee's for a Blue Apron obsession because it's a superior product, costs less money, and doesn't make you feel like garbage afterward? What if we're committing ourselves to niche brands who at least seem to care about sourcing and ethics because we're actually less selfish and more concerned about helping our communities?

Shame us all you want for Instagramming our meals and eating up our iPhone storage with selfies - we're a generation that's paying attention to how we can contribute to the greater good.

That desire manifests itself in ways including striking out to build a company-with-a-cause, or seeking out jobs with companies that give back to society in some way.

You might've noticed that in the wake of one-for-one models like TOMS and Warby Parker, you'd be hard pressed nowadays to find a startup that doesn't align itself with a charitable cause in some way.

And while giving back to the community is by no means exclusive to the realm of small business and startups, millennials' insistence on it has had a trickle-down effect. A study conducted by Fortune last year found that 2 out of 3 of those surveyed were at least somewhat more likely to want to work for a company that gave back, and 84 percent of those employed donated to a charitable cause in 2015, according to the Millennial Impact Report.

So keep on keepin 'on, aspiring bosses and conscious consumers. We might catch flak for being special snowflakes, but we're driving the marketplace to be better, and a bit of whining from the corporate buffalo wing lobby isn't going to change that.
-Deena Drewis

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Why Millennials Are (Rightly) Obsessed With Small Business

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Ah, millennials. We're a generation that wants to steer the boat, and a really cool one at that. It might be a dinghy starting out (and maybe it never becomes a full-blown yacht,) but we want the business card with the word "founder" printed in effortlessly hip san-serif beneath our name.

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Project information and objectives