Business that does good

from ESTILA EDIT June 2017

by Estila Magazine

Travel Beauty Edit

The Good Place

words by Karolina Barnes, photography provided by The Good Place

1. WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE GOOD PLACE COME FROM?

The Good Place was founded in 2015 by Leona Mani. She set up the business to showcase the most beautiful and ethical brands from around the world, after being inspired by her travels and working in the textile industry in Hong Kong and India, becoming involved with event management for the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, and founding BestFairTrade.com, an essential directory for hundreds of fair trade brands. Business ideas organically grew from this, and as online technology moved into e-Commerce, Leona then developed the online business, realising quickly that a bricks and mortar store would hugely complement the all round retail experience.

The Good Place online community has seen a significant growth, reaching almost 7000 Instagram followers. Transparency is key to the business model, and we pride ourselves in telling the stories behind the brands that we know our customers will fall in love with. Our events have created a hub of like-minded individuals that share the same passions. Starting with a handful of brands we now provide a platform for over 30 responsible brands from all over the world.

2. WHAT IS THE MISSION?

The Good Place will continue to honour its 'do good' ethos while working whole-heartedly to bring stories to life through unforgettable experiences and curated product ranges. Our business model allows for positive change, enabling us to evolve in the ever-changing retail landscape. Providing our customers with ethical brands to trust through a magazine-like concept keeps our customer engaged and enables us to be known as a destination for wonderfully unique products.

“The mission is to make a positive change while providing our customers with ethical brands to trust.”

3. WHY IS THE GOOD PLACE DIFFERENT?

The Good Place is a new kind of luxury shopping experience. A modern platform showcasing luxury products and the stories behind them, but with a difference. Our curated collection of products 'do good' - for people and the planet. We take a huge amount of pride in our multi-channel model, consisting of our desktop and mobile friendly website, a 'shoppable' London gallery showroom in Chelsea, as well as social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook.

We tell the stories behind all the fashion, style, beauty and healthy living products we curate - and this experience evolves every two months as we explore new themes - such as 'Look Good - Feel Good' and 'Urban Jungle'. Think of us as your responsible, ethically-sourced and stylish products magazine - brought to life online, in-store and through exclusive events. Great customer service is always uppermost in our quest to provide the best possible retail experience.

4. WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCT?

This summer we launched Safomasi - the creators of unique, illustrated homeware and accessories, hand-crafted in India. Founded by Sarah Fotheringham and Maninder Singh, the duo produces every single product by hand in their New Delhi studio. The collections tell the story of a journey, through gorgeous colour combinations and a distinct illustrative style, with the aim of bringing joy and a small part of their colourful world into your home. You can find charming camels to coconut trees, safari trucks and monkeys across the range of bedspreads.

5. WHAT IS YOUR ETHICAL POLICY AND HOW CAN WE HELP?

Our "Be conscious. Think fair. Shop for a reason." brand message, explains our passion for sourcing products for our customers that prioritise a 'force for good'. Every single new product is stringently selected and approved by our buying team to ensure that the supply chain and story are peerless.

That's where the fun part starts as we share those stories with our customers - whether it's fair trade, tackling poverty, using sustainable materials or keeping great British craft alive.