Ethical sourcing

Tackling books was the first challenge for Jack Hearne, the retail manager at the South London Gallery (SLG), when he took over the shop five years ago. At that time, 80% to 90% of its stock was books, but over time he has reduced this to around 60%. The problem with books is not just the paper consumption, but also the use of chemical-based inks, and the shipping footprint, because many are printed far overseas. Hearne says the amount of books the SLG stocks is still not perfect but it is evolving. 

Claire Buckley, the environmental sustainability director at Julie’s Bicycle, a charity that supports the creative sector to act on climate change, says that reducing printed materials, such as books and exhibition programmes, is another good place to start. She suggests using paper that is sustainably sourced or already recycled, and vegetable-based inks, as well as trying to use UK or European-based printers with environmental credentials. 

It’s important to decide which areas to tackle, and once that decision has been made research is key to finding products, brands and suppliers that fit your brief. 

The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers and the Association for Culture Enterprises are valuable sources of information. 

Hearne says that social media is also an important resource, particularly Instagram. By searching relevant hashtags, for example #fairtrade #chocolate or #coffee, it is possible to see great visuals straight away, and it is usually easy to find contacts.

Emma Matthews, the buyer and product developer at Manchester Museum, says trade shows are also a great place to find brands with credentials that match what you are trying to achieve.

For many museum and gallery shops, sourcing local products that cut down on fuel emissions and support community enterprise and artisans is a good starting point.

Food is the most common category of locally-produced products, including jams, chocolates and honey. Some museums even make their own honey and associated wax products to sell (see Making honey for money). 

“Visitors love investing in something that is from the local area, and it’s a really nice story to tell,” says Stroud at Chiltern Open Air Museum. “I am always trying to swap products for local versions where I can.”

Although the museum has had an apiary in the past, it is currently working with a local beekeeper based about a mile from the museum to make honey and associated products from beeswax.

“The honey is hugely popular, and some people come in specifically to buy it,” explains Stroud. Meanwhile, the museum also offers visitors the chance to make traditional beeswax candles.

Local sourcing is not limited to food and related items. The South London Gallery is working with local designer-makers on jewellery and gift products. 

“Working with local, independent suppliers allows you to build great relationships,” says Hearne.

Aberystwyth’s Ceredigion Museum took this idea one step further by creating a social enterprise with Tir Coed, a charity working with rural communities in Wales. 

Using the charity’s woodland workshop, the project worked with the local community to train five young people in craft and enterprise skills. Inspired by the museum’s collection, they created a branded range of ethical wooden kitchen implements and vessels that were sold in the museum’s shop. It received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Happy Museum Project.

Claire Shepherd, founder of Zuza Trading, which works with artisans in South Africa, but is based in Cumbria, says her experience has shown it is not always easy for big institutions to work directly with overseas crafts people and artisans.

“Sometimes they are interested in the products but do not want to work with the craftspeople, and don’t want to deal with importing products,” Shepherd says.

She says that some museums also have strict payment terms, and, while there is a guaranteed payment for the crafter, it can take between 60 to 120 days for full payment. That can be challenging for small artisans and enterprises. Zuza Trading acts as the middle-man by importing and paying for the overseas products upfront, which can then be sold to stockists in the UK, such as the British Museum, and can work with their payment schedules better.

Laura Cave, founder of Just Trade, which collaborates with artisans around the world to make jewellery, also advises buyers to learn about the crafting processes, and what groups can and cannot do.

“I receive requests for things that can’t be done – you have to be realistic,” she says. “Traditional skills are different in different countries.”

Local artisans will often be competing with each other for a local market, which will be driven by price. “You need to help artisans understand that it isn’t about price or making things quickly, but about making it well.”

Locally-made, ethically-sourced and sustainable products will cost more than mass-produced items, but visitors are increasingly prepared to pay.

“All of us are willing to pay more if we know something is doing good, and not causing harm,” says jewellery designer Cave.

Zuza Trading’s Shepherd suggests there needs to be a more collaborative approach, rather than applying the standard 35% mark-up to ethical products.

“Maybe we need to accept that we cannot always make the same return if we want to send a message about ethical business,” Shepherd says.

There can also be a perception that handcrafted or sustainable products may not be of the same quality as known brands. 

“It is definitely a perception issue because products can be more rustic,” says Buckley at Julie’s Bicycle.

According to Cave, quality issues can crop up anywhere, but controlling them is just about putting a process in place.

“Now we make four samples of everything,” she says. “One for the maker; one for a quality control supervisor, one for Just Trade and one for our customer.” This means that the maker and quality control supervisor understand the standard the products have to be made to, and Just Trade and the customer have a control sample to measure everything against. Then, any products that do not reach the standard of the sample can be returned and remade as necessary.

“When people pick up an item in the shop because it looks great, they are often surprised when we can tell them the story behind it,” says SLG’s Hearne. “Other customers come in specifically asking for it.”

Highlighting the stories behind ethical products is a great merchandising tool, but also offers customers an insight into how the product is made and the impact it has had on the local community and/or the environment.

In an ideal world, museum shops would stock only ethical products, but this is unlikely to be possible for every outlet.

At Manchester Museum, Matthews is seeking to source more UK-made products, including wooden toys to reduce its plastic range. “We would like to get to 100% – it is something we are working towards,” she says. “The ethical and locally sourced ranges don’t look out of place alongside existing ranges, but they do have a higher price point.”

With Manchester’s shop moving into a temporary space while a new gallery is built, Matthews intends to use the opportunity to trial new locally-made and ethically-sourced products.

At Chiltern, Stroud is hoping to get to a 40% or 50% split of ethically- and locally-sourced products. 

Hearne is currently at around 20% at South London Gallery. However, the gallery is opening a second shop off-site and Hearne is optimistic he can hit 70% in the new store.

According to Buckley from Julie’s Bicycle, around 25% should be generally achievable, although she admits that retail is challenging. 

“It is challenging to go from nothing to 25%, and it is also challenging to actually quantify it. Products can and will cost more than something mass-produced in China, but visitors are definitely interested.”