DESIGNED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

November 10, 2022

To our valued community,

 

Thank you for choosing to shop consciously and make a positive impact around the world. We are extremely grateful for your support over the years, and we wanted to inform you of some changes.

 

We started The Little Market nine years ago with the mission to empower artisan women and other underserved communities. Our goal has been to make artisan-made goods as accessible as possible — connecting local, national, and global makers to conscious shoppers. Through our product purchases, we are proud to have generated over 1.6 million hours of dignified work for artisan and producer groups.

 

Our operating model is unique, serving as both a nonprofit organization and a fair trade shop, primarily selling products directly to customers like you. The feasibility of that model has been impacted by increased costs, from product materials and packaging to shipping and warehousing. In order to adapt and continue our mission to support artisans and producers, we are changing the strategic direction of The Little Market.

 

Starting next year, we will have limited products available for purchase on our website. Our focus will shift to working with larger retailers looking to source fair trade, artisan-made products. This evolution is intended to broaden the reach of artisans and increase their access to more shoppers. We encourage you to do your shopping with us now with the products that are currently available, as next year our full collection will not be available for individual purchase on our website.

We recognize this is a significant change. Our charitable mission remains the same: to connect artisans in marginalized communities to a greater marketplace for their handmade goods. We will also continue to raise awareness about fair trade and human rights.

 

We are excited about this next chapter, and, together, we can amplify impact for artisans and producers around the world.

 

With Gratitude,

meet the next evolution of our nonprofit

To our valued community,

 

Thank you for choosing to shop consciously and make a positive impact around the world. We are extremely grateful for your support over the years, and we wanted to inform you of some changes.

 

We started The Little Market nine years ago with the mission to empower artisan women and other underserved communities. Our goal has been to make artisan-made goods as accessible as possible — connecting local, national, and global makers to conscious shoppers. Through our product purchases, we are proud to have generated over 1.6 million hours of dignified work for artisan and producer groups.

 

Our operating model is unique, serving as both a nonprofit organization and a fair trade shop, primarily selling products directly to customers like you. The feasibility of that model has been impacted by increased costs, from product materials and packaging to shipping and warehousing. In order to adapt and continue our mission to support artisans and producers, we are changing the strategic direction of The Little Market.

 

Starting next year, we will have limited products available for purchase on our website. Our focus will shift to working with larger retailers looking to source fair trade, artisan-made products. This evolution is intended to broaden the reach of artisans and increase their access to more shoppers. We encourage you to do your shopping with us now with the products that are currently available, as next year our full collection will not be available for individual purchase on our website.

We recognize this is a significant change. Our charitable mission remains the same: to connect artisans in marginalized communities to a greater marketplace for their handmade goods. We will also continue to raise awareness about fair trade and human rights.

 

We are excited about this next chapter, and, together, we can amplify impact for artisans and producers around the world.

 

With Gratitude,

find out more

Can I continue to purchase products on your website? What will happen to my gift card?

We encourage you to do your shopping with us while products are still available, as our full product collection will no longer be directly for sale to shoppers on our website at some point in 2023. Gift cards are still available to use on our website, but we are no longer issuing new gift cards. Please note that all products are final sale. Stay tuned for updates on where you can find us in other retailers going forward. We will share more details as we have them.

Will I be able to continue shopping at the store in the Palisades?

We have made the difficult decision to close our storefront in the Pacific Palisades, CA. Our last day was Sunday, January 8,2023. Please see here for more information. We are also offering free pick-up of orders at our Fulfillment Center located in Santa Ana, CA for the foreseeable future. (Please select this option at checkout for free local pickup.)

How can I continue to support?

Help amplify our mission by sharing about fair trade with your community. We encourage you to follow along on Instagram @TheLittleMarket or sign up to our email listserv for updates.

Can I continue to place corporate, wholesale, design trade, and bulk orders?

Our Sales Team is happy to assist you with corporate, wholesale, design trade, and bulk orders. We will keep you updated on how this will evolve. You can reach out to our Sales Team directly at sales@thelittlemarket.com to place an order.

What will happen to my registry?

We are no longer accepting new registries at this time. However, current registries will remain open and shoppable until the forseeable future. We encourage you to have your friends and family purchase your requested items before the end of April 2023. If your event is past December 2022, or if you have products from our site that are linked to third party registries, we encourage you to move your registry to another retailer so that there is no disruption to your desired gifts. While you won’t be able to host your registry with us, we hope and encourage that you continue to seek out fair trade and artisan-made products and gifts that give back for your special occasions.

Will you continue to operate as a nonprofit, charitable organization?

This change will not affect our nonprofit status or charitable mission, but rather just how that mission is carried out. We are committed to supporting dignified income opportunities for artisan and producer groups in underserved communities by connecting them to a wider marketplace. We will also continue to raise awareness about fair trade and human rights issues impacting artisan groups and their communities.

We're Here to Help

Get in touch with our team at hello@thelittlemarket.com.