Two Ways To Shop Bambootique With No Shipping Costs

December 4, 2009 at 10:18 am (Bambootique, Blog Specials, Fair Trade Products, Saving Money)

We’re now officially in the holiday shopping season and you may be starting to cross some names off your Christmas shopping list.  You can still make Bambootique part of your holiday gifts without paying a cent in shipping costs, at least through December 14th. Use coupon code lipship at checkout and you won’t pay any shipping costs for orders over $25. You’ll also get a free holiday lipbalm to boot! This offer runs out December 14th.

If you’re in the Portland, Oregon area I also welcome shoppers to make appointments to swing by my home, either to browse or to pick up an emailed order. Sometimes it’s nice to see a product in person before choosing so you’re welcome to email a wishlist, come by and look it all over, and take home what you like. Please call (503-781-3244)  or email (beth@shopbambootique.com) at least 24 hours in advance to arrange an appointment.  I’m available most afternoons and many evenings, as well as some Saturday mornings. A hot mug of tea will welcome you as well as Christmas music and no shopping crowds! Little ones are welcome to accompany you too and play with Grace while you shop.

Here’s to a peaceful Christmas season focused on family, friends and Christ, the true reason for this season.

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Oscar Albert Multi-Trunk Holiday Trunk Show THIS Wednesday!

November 27, 2009 at 12:43 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Products, Portland area)

Join Bambootique this Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 at the fabulous wine bar and bistro, Oscar Albert, for an evening of holiday festivities and shopping!

Where: Oscar Albert Wine Bar and Bistro, 4847 SE Division, Portland, Oregon

When: Dec. 2, 2009, 5:30-8pm

Other vendors include:

Missionary Chocolates – Woman owned, delicious!

Apolloni Winery – Delightful wines made in Oregon

Global Sistergoods – Woman owned, Fair Trade Importers

Flavour Pals – Scone mixes, woman owned

Muddy Waters – Can you say “chocolate facial”?

I hope to see you there!

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Who Will You Cross Off Your List This Weekend?

November 10, 2009 at 3:55 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Products, Holidays, Portland area)

nov-056I hate to rub it in but I already have a closet full of Christmas gifts. We tend to keep the holidays pretty simple, buying small gifts that will last and have meaning. I shop throughout the year for our family and close friends, otherwise I’m a stress case come December.

You too can have a more relaxed December by getting some of your holiday shopping out of the way this weekend. Bambootique’s Fair Trade Holiday Trunk Show is THIS Saturday and Sunday at my home in Tualatin.  I’ve got hundreds of items to choose from, many brand new to Bambootique, including the addition of home decor items this year like placemats, coasters, trivets, and candle holders.  Other new items include scarves and handbags from India (the really cool kind with little mirrors!), beautiful Uganda beaded jewelry made from recycled paper (you’d never know it was paper), handmade Christmas cards and ornaments from Haiti, India, Honduras, Thailand and Cambodia, light cotton scarves from Guatemala, mosaic candle holders from South Africa, woven baskets from Rwanda, soaps from Zambia, hexagonal candles from Guatemala, new styles of bamboo purses and handmade stationery from Thailand, and even more.

So come, bring your friends, and make a big dent in that Christmas list. Not only will you be more relaxed come December but you’ll feel great about gifts that give back to artisans. On top of that 10% of all sales this weekend go to one of my favorite non-profits, Haiti Foundation of Hope.

What: 2 days of fabulous fair trade shopping for everyone on your list!

When: Saturday November 14th 10am-4pm
Sunday November 15th 1-5pm

Where: 17552 SW Shasta Trail, Tualatin, OR
(Bambootique owner Beth Sethi’s home)

  • Bring your friends!
  • Huge clearance section
  • Complimentary cookies and hot drinks
  • Play area for little ones while you shop
  • Free take-home samples of coffee, tea, chocolate and more!
  • 10% of all sales donated to Haiti Foundation of Hope

Questions? Contact me at beth@shopbambootique.com or 503-781-3244

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Find Bambootique In Even More Stores

October 22, 2009 at 5:13 pm (Bambootique, Eco-fashion, Fair Trade Products, Wholesale)

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Bambootique’s wholesale program just keeps growing! I’m delighted that the following shops are now carrying my fair trade products. If one is in your area be sure to stop in to get your Bambootique fix.

Lucias Imports
523 East High St.
Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 389-9337

One World Shop
19321 Detroit Rd.
Rocky River, OH 44116
(440) 333-770

Mercy Corps Action Center
28 SW 1st St.
Portland, OR 97204

Giraffe
174th and Vashon Hwy.
Vashon Island, WA 98070
(206) 463-1372

Liave
1205 Western Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 364-0748

Ella Mon
5404 22nd Ave NW
Seattle, WA  98107
(206) 297-2800

Tenfold Fair Trade
181A Potomac Street.
Harpers Ferry, WV 24524

Thanks to all our wholesale partners!  For a full list of stores carrying Bambootique products click here

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Holiday Trunk Show Three Weeks Away – And You’re Invited!

October 20, 2009 at 2:03 pm (Bambootique, Blog Specials, Eco-fashion, Events, Fair Trade Products, Haiti, Holidays, Portland area)

Jewelry-display

What: Bambootique’s 4th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Trunk Show

Two full days of fabulous fair trade shopping!

When: Saturday November 14th 10am-4pm
Sunday November 15th 1-5pm

Where: 17552 SW Shasta Trail, Tualatin, Oregon (Bambootique owner Beth Sethi’s home), 503-781-3244
View map

Who: You and all your closest friends, family and neighbors. Bring your girlfriends along to introduce them to everything you love about fair trade!

Messenger BagWhat: Two days of holiday shopping that makes a world of difference! This year’s trunk show features products from India, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Guatemala, Honduras, Togo, South Africa and more! Bambootique’s fair trade selection includes handbags, candles, scarves, skincare products, jewelry and handmade paper products, all made by women artisans in the developing world.  We’ll also have a fabulous selection of Christmas ornaments and nativities from Haiti, Afghanistan, Thailand and Peru.

Stuffed LlamasWe’ll have a fun play area to keep little ones busy while moms shop.

Other features of the show include fair trade freebies such as take-home samples of Strictly Organic Coffee, Kalahari tea and copies of The Conscious Consumer for every attendee. Plus don’t miss our incredible Clearance section, homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh fair trade coffees and teas, and great music!

Haiti Foundation of HopeThis year Bambootique is thrilled to partner with Haiti Foundation of Hope to support their community health program in Terre Blanche, Haiti. 10% of all sales from the trunk show will be donated to HFH. There will also be a selection of Haitian arts and crafts of which 100% of sales will support HFH’s excellent work.

This event is open to the public so please come and bring your friends!

Capture

Happy-Shoppers

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Bambootique Part of Mercy Corps’ New Action Center

October 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Products, Portland area, Wholesale)

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Bambootique is thrilled to be participating in Mercy Corps‘ brand-new Action Center, scheduled to hold its grand opening this weekend, October 9 and 10. The Action Center gives visitors a peek into Mercy Corps’ worldwide relief and development work through hands-on interactive displays. It gives us all a chance we may not otherwise have to see how we can all participate in fighting global poverty. Part of the Action Center is a retail space selling fair trade and other ethically traded goods. That’s where you’ll find Bambootique!

After opening this weekend the Action Center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays. Visit the Action Center’s website for more details.  And be sure to check out all the fair trade goodies available while you’re there!

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Happy Fair Trade Month!

October 5, 2009 at 1:57 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Chocolate, Fair Trade Products)

fair_trade_logoOctober is officially Fair Trade Month, as declared by people who get to make such declarations.  Actually the people with such power are all at Transfair USA, the fabulous organization behind certifying all kinds of fair-trade goodies from coffee to rice to tea and bananas. Throughout this month Transfair is promoting “31 Days, 31 Ways,” highlighting a different way to support fair trade each day of the month. Here are a few ways you can get involved with Fair Trade Month!

  1. Follow along with Transfair’s “31 Days, 31 Ways” campaign on Facebook, Twitter or the Fair Trade Month website.
  2. Try a fair trade product you haven’t tried before. If you’re already using the basics (chocolate, coffee, etc) why not pick up some fair trade rice or get a fair trade soccer ball to kick around this fall?
  3. Sign up for Reverse Trick-or-Treating. You get free fair-trade chocolates and literature for your kids to hand out as they go door -to-door this Halloween. It’s a great way to promote fair trade in your community and what neighbor won’t be thrilled to get some free chocolate in return? The deadline to request your kit is TODAY so don’t dawdle.
  4. If you miss the Reverse Trick-or-Treat deadline you can still promote fair trade this Halloween by handing out fair trade chocolate treats to kids who come to your door. Natural food stores like Whole Foods have a few options for fair trade Halloween treats.
  5. Of course I have to put in a plug for Bambootique too.  My Holiday Fair Trade Trunk Show falls just a few weeks after Fair Trade Month ends, November 14 and 15th. If you’re so lucky as to live in the Portland area be sure to mark these dates on your calendar. Invites will be out soon. If you’re out of the area don’t fret, just watch your inbox for some great coupons for online holiday shopping coming up in a few weeks (and if you’re not on the Bambootique email list sign up here).

Anyone have any other plans/ ideas for Fair Trade Month? Do share here. Feel free to post events, sales, ideas, etc.

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World Pulse’s New Issue Is Out…And It’s Really Good

September 4, 2009 at 1:16 pm (Bambootique, Caring for the Poor, Fair Trade Products, Favorite Things, On Being a Business Owner, Women's issues)

wp- fulfill cover singleOne my favorite magazines that I’ve blogged about before is World Pulse. It’s this fabulous collection of stories and articles about women’s issues worldwide. It’s unlike any other women’s magazine I’ve ever read, being globally-minded and focused on the most positive aspects of what women are doing worldwide.

This latest issue focuses on new economic models from women visionaries, including those in the fair trade movement. A number of the issue’s articles are available online but you have to get the print edition to read the full issue, including the excellent fair trade article.

The fair trade article, entitled Unraveling Women’s Fair Trade, takes a hard look at the model of fair trade company such as mine at Bambootique and how difficult it is to make such companies sustainable not to mention profitable. I know first-hand how difficult that is. Thankfully Bambootique has been financially sustainable (i.e. broken even) since day one, but the profitable side for the most part is still a future hope and dream.  This is the reality for many similar companies for a whole host of reasons. The market is certainly there for our products and it’s rapidly  growing, but there are so many challenges too. They include scale (we can be inefficient because we are so small), shipping and customs costs, the communication difficulties related to working with small groups of women often working in remote areas, getting our products to market, etc.  The article points out that the joy of running such a business and knowing how much good we are doing far outweighs the challenges, at least for many in this industry. And many of us are getting more sustainable and more profitable, both business owners and artisans, as the market grows and our businesses get stronger.

Look for the latest issue of World Pulse on a newstand near you. I know I’ve seen it in the Portland area at Powell’s, Borders and natural food stores like Whole Foods.

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Great News For Fair Trade

July 30, 2009 at 12:04 pm (Bambootique, Caring for the Poor, Fair Trade Products, In the News)

IMG_4997This recession has had me pretty bummed out, with the constant bombardment of doom and gloom. Want some good news?  Worldwide fair trade sales were up 22% in 2008!  This according to a recent announcement by the Fairtrade Foundation, an independent non-profit organization based in the UK that certifies fair trade products sold in Britian.  Their report looked at global growth of fair trade sales and found the majority of increase in sales was in fair trade tea (up 112%), fair trade coffee (up 14%) and fair trade bananas (up 28%).

A number of developed nations saw fair trade sales increase by more than 50%, including Canada where fair trade grew by 67%. The US saw slower growth of just 10% but in total sales we still remain one of the largest markets for fair trade products.

Here at Bambootique I’ve seen sales so far in 2009 increase 25% over 2008’s sales, a surprising figure given the focus on low-price during this economic crisis. In order to keep paying my artisans fair and living wages I haven’t slashed my prices, haven’t had big sales, and yet customers are still coming back. My experience at Bambootique reflects the encouraging worldwide trend towards greater consumer awareness and action even during difficult times.  Artisans and farmers in the developing world need fair trade more than ever. When we feel the pinch here, they feel an unbearable squeeze as whatever economic opportunities there were dry up completely.

I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to each of you who go out of your way to shop for fair trade products, whether from me or from elsewhere. It’s during these hard times that our true priorities and beliefs shine through. Thank you for believing that you can make a difference in the lives of others, even in the small choices you make every day.

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Bambootique’s Retail Outlets Now Listed Online

July 14, 2009 at 10:05 am (Bambootique, Fair Trade Products, Wholesale)

full_circle_messgr_bg_grnI’ve just added a handy-dandy list of all stores carrying Bambootique’s fair trade products to my website..  You’ll find the complete list here. Check it out to see if a store near you carries Bambootique!

If you’re a store owner who’d like to carry Bambootique products in your shop, our wholesale program might be for you.

If you have a shop near you that you think should be carrying Bambootique, let me know. If the store you refer places a wholesale order YOU’LL get a $50 gift certificate to Bambootique.  Thanks for spreading the fair trade love!

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