Small Business Spotlight & Giveaway: The Good Store
Today is Oceans of Plastic Day, an initiative designed to raise awareness of ocean plastic pollution and inspire supporters to get involved in change-making activities, from beach cleans to school projects.
We have been creating sustainable products for more than 30 years. Alongside our FSC® Certified range, we also work with ethical brands such as Green Toys, whose products are made from 100% recycled milk bottles.
One of Green Toys’ stockists is London’s The Good Store. This sustainable department store is the go-to spot for eco-friendly shopping in the city. We catch up with Social Media and Events Coordinator, Andreea Vaitis, to find out more.
(P.S. don’t miss The Good Store’s amazing bundle giveaway below. It’s worth more than £100!)
When did you start working at The Good Store?
I started my journey as part of The Good Store team on 1st July 2022. I knew I wanted to use my voice to talk about sustainability, so I was very excited to take on the Social Media and Events Coordinator role. It’s been incredible to see how the store has evolved since then and I am so happy to be driving this mission forward.
What’s different about The Good Store?
The Good Store is an exciting concept with so much potential and promise for the future. We are exploring what sustainability means on the high street and are dedicated to giving eco-friendly products a platform to help us all make less impact on the earth.
The Good Store provides an insight into the possibilities of reuse and sustainability, offering fun, useful and thought-provoking collections. The brands we collaborate with are committed to sustainability, and we are proud to offer people a wide range of options no matter what’s on their sustainable shopping list.
The initiative was created by environmental charity, Groundwork, and all profits made by The Good Store are put back into local projects to change places and lives for good.
What’s your proudest moment at The Good Store?
Every day when we open the doors. It makes me proud to know that we’re providing a platform for sustainable products and rethinking the role of a high-street retailer. This couldn’t be more important within the current climate and energy crises. Meanwhile, the benefit to the charitable projects we deliver across our communities is invaluable.
What's the biggest challenge The Good Store has faced?
Finding a location for the store was a challenge, but the team never gave up and eventually found the best possible space in Central London to launch the initiative. Connecting customers with the unique concept of a sustainable department store, and educating people to learn how their daily lifestyle choices can have a positive impact on our planet, seems to be a prevalent but ever more recognised challenge across our industry.
What product categories do you stock?
Some of our collections include preloved fashion, beauty products made from coffee grounds or wonky fruits, bags made from bouncy castles, and more. From clothes and accessories to toys, tech and furniture, we are excited about our product offering that suits a range of budgets.
What are your favourite toys and why?
Vehicle toys are my favourite. My little one loves entertaining himself with cars and we’re having so much fun playing together. As a mum who is passionate about sustainability, I want to encourage my son to consider the importance of protecting our environment. I truly believe that we can all make a difference one small step at a time, and The Good Store is the perfect place to start or grow your sustainability journey.
Green Toys’ commitment to quality, safe and fun products, that are all made out of 100% recycled materials, is something we admire and support. We’re thrilled that they’ve joined us!
What’s next for The Good Store?
We are looking forward to building on this momentum and finding our next retail location. The Good Store by Groundwork is an experience, and we would be delighted to welcome more people to explore our store and share in our journey towards sustainability on the high street, and beyond.
Green Toys Bundle Giveaway
We have teamed up with The Good Store to give away a bundle of five earth-friendly Green Toys, including:
- Green Toys Seaplane
- Green Toys Submarine
- Green Toys Red Airplane
- Green Toys Car Carrier
- Green Toys Recycle Truck
How To Enter
To enter, simply head over to our Instagram @bigjigstoys and check out the Green Toys competition post for all the details. But act fast! The giveaway ends on Tuesday 29th November 2022.