A new sustainable department store offering a range of products from clothing to health, beauty and homeware, while also promoting environmental and community projects which aim to change places and lives for good, has opened in Mayfair, London. Occupying 6000ft² on South Molton Street, The Good Store radically rethinks the conventional department store to focus on reuse and refurbishment as well as plastic-free and sustainably sourced products. In addition, The Good Store will host a range of informative educational events and offer services that empower consumers to make better choices for the environment.
The furniture department within the store features Jay&Co, the restoration furniture business of Jay Blades MBE (BBC’s Repair Shop), which sits alongside social enterprise ThinkFound, which source hardwood fallen or felled in London. Established vintage and second hand clothing charity Traid also has a presence, alongside upcycled and sustainable clothing brands Elvis and Kresse, which produce accessories made from former fire-brigade hose, Been London (sustainable leather) and Wyatt & Jack which produce items from broken bouncy castles.
Plastic-free and sustainable brands within the store include Waterhaul, which make sunglasses from plastic retrieved from Cornwall’s coastline, UpCircle’s refillable beauty products made from used coffee grounds, Stroodles’ edible tableware and straws and Green Toys made from plastic milk bottles.
The Good Store also features furniture from Groundwork’s own workshops, The Loops, as well as access to high quality refurbished bicycles by their Westminster Wheels and premium refurbished white goods by Groundwork’s Rework employment programme. The Good Store is a concept created by Groundwork London, one of a federation of charities mobilising practical community action on poverty and the environment across the UK, which has a partnership with the South Molton Street property owner Grosvenor.
Joanna Lea, retail director, Grosvenor commented: “The Good Store is an exciting retail concept providing a route to market for high quality sustainable products, improving London’s circular economy and supporting social enterprises. Our work as a property owner is underpinned by partnerships and we are proud to be working alongside Groundwork to deliver such a well-needed and timely retail offering in the Mayfair neighbourhood. It is essential that we support social enterprises like these, which celebrate sustainable products and are contributing to wider social and environmental goals. The Good Store represents an integral part of the future of retail.”
Fiona Brenner, strategic development manager at Groundwork London, commented: “We could see that people have a strong desire for more sustainable options but the onus sits with the individual to go out and find them. We wanted to bring together these choices to show the breadth and depth of the developing sustainable market and traditional attitudes to reuse and repair in a way that creates an easy and enjoyable shopping experience. All profits will support our social reuse programmes, from which The Good Store was created, so that waste can be brought back to life by our teams and items provided to those who need them.”
Kieran Hill from plastic-free accessories brand, Waterhaul, explains how its shared values with The Good Store spark change and impact way beyond the shop floor: “We’re really proud and excited to be a part of The Good Store as they’re wanting to change the landscape of the high street and provide shoppers with sustainably sourced products from social enterprises, start-ups and established businesses. The Good Store has been created to generate funds, by selling products, to help increase and support the fantastic initiatives that Groundwork does engaging communities and individuals to promote sustainable communities and action. As a brand, we are very focused on the same values as well as ensuring that our supply chain is as plastic-free as possible, working with our suppliers to ensure they uphold the same standards as us, and not send out products using single-use plastic packaging.”
