AOW Insider | Interview: A Conversation with Global Goods Partners

This month, I'm delighted to share an interview with one of my most experienced colleagues, Catherine Shimony, co-founder of Global Goods Partners along with Joan Shifrin.

Global Goods Partners (GGP) just celebrated its 17th year anniversary. It started as an e-commerce brand offering artisanal, fair-trade products. It was one of the first e-retail brands focused on telling the stories of women artists and their communities. GGP has now grown into more design and price-competitive products, allocating more resources to product design to maintain their competitive edge.

Catherine has 30+ years of experience in the artisan sector and it's an honor to be able to bring her insights, wisdom, and experience to readers of AOW.

Click below to read Catherine's insights on where she sees the industry shifting, what lessons she has learned, her tips for success, and more!

To start, for those who do not already know you, could you tell us a little about your role in this sector and how you first started?

Global Goods Partners (GGP) was founded as a response to the many women artisan leaders that my co-founder, Joan Shifrin, and I met during our work in international development. We received beautiful, handmade pieces from around the world that not only deserved global recognition, but were made by skilled artisans who had a desire to produce these incredible products, provide for their families, and reach a larger market. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, our mission has always been to provide sustainable jobs for women by offering design assistance, market access, capacity building, and small grants, to support our partnerships with women-led, community-based entities around the globe.

You have 30+ years of experience in this sector. How do you feel it has changed over the years you’ve been a part of it?

Global Goods Partners (GGP) celebrated its 17th-anniversary last month. From the time we launched in 2005 until now, our mission has stayed the same but the way we operate has changed significantly.

From the beginning, we have been an e-commerce brand, even when e-retail was just emerging as a market force. Our website focused on the stories of the women artisans with whom we worked, the impact of sustainable livelihoods, and the community-wide challenges they faced. We quickly realized that in order to grow GGP’s market to support our artisan partners, our products had to be competitive – both design-wise and price-wise -- and needed to be featured front and center on our website. After all, it's all about the product! 

Over the past decade, the artisan sector has started to realize that by allocating more resources to product design with higher quality raw materials, artisanal products could become more competitive in the US market and around the globe. 

The artisan sector experienced both gains and losses during the pandemic. There was an uptick in online retail sales during the first year of the pandemic because customers were home and shopping. However, retail stores were closed during lockdown, which negatively impacted the wholesale business. As the US economy opened up, wholesale sales picked up but then shipping prices, especially sea freight, skyrocketed and our artisan partners in the Global South were experiencing the impact of Covid with lockdowns and sickness. GGP continued to place orders with our partners during the height of Covid to avoid a disruption to their income.  

Today, the sector continues to grapple with high transportation costs, which impact both the local and international markets for handmade products. Regrettably, it appears unlikely to change anytime soon. As a result, the price-sensitive consumer for non-luxury items may choose a cheaper, non-fair trade alternative. Additionally, the retail market has become more difficult to navigate, with some big buyers offering punishing terms, including delayed payments and chargeback penalties for errors and delays. On the positive side, the consumer appetite for handmade, fair trade, eco-friendly products continues to grow as customers seek to align their values with their purchasing power.

I am excited to see artisanal products becoming more mainstream but with that comes the concern that they will become oversaturated and lose their uniqueness. How do you see artisanal products fitting within mainstream markets?

I understand the concern, but anytime artisanal products are presented to potential customers, it's an opportunity. GGP's mission is all about market access and for us that means any market that accepts the fair trade price of the product. I think it's important to include the history of the artistry, how the products are made, who is making the products, and the impact of the product on society and the environment. All of these components highlight the uniqueness of the product.

Consumers are becoming more discerning in their choices and interested in shopping their values. The quality of the product is most important; it must be worthy of the shelf space in the mainstream market. The value added is the impact told through the artisan stories.

What are some of the gaps that you feel we are missing to make artisan businesses stronger?

There is a shortage of capital for artisan businesses around the globe which makes it very difficult to scale their operations. Additionally, retail is a tough business, and buyer terms can be very demanding. To elevate the sector, I'd like to see more collaboration and sharing of best practices, especially when it comes to the artisan communities.

If you were to give an entrepreneur in this field five tips on how to successfully create an artisan brand, what would they be? 

·      Start small and keep it manageable

·      Do your due diligence with a strong business plan that understands your competition

·      Know your market potential, customer, product, and supply chain

·      Invest in personnel and operations

·      Trust yourself and persevere

What do you wish you knew before you got started? 

Everything...but you have to start in order to learn. I wish I knew from the start how important it is to be nimble and that change may be required to adapt to current opportunities and long-term trends.  

I realize shipping is a rising issue across the world. What are some ways in which Global Goods is trying to get a handle on this?

We have learned to ask a lot of questions about shipping options in all the countries where we work because the rates for air cargo versus sea freight can vary substantially depending on the country. In Ghana, for instance, we have experienced sea freight costs rising so high that they exceed air cargo. My advice is to speak to logistics experts about shipping and plan ahead of time.

Where are you focusing your attention within Global Goods Partners this year to help keep you ahead of your competition? 

I would say our priority is to continue to introduce new products each season to keep it interesting for our customers. Product development is an important investment for GGP to both satisfy our current clients and bring in new ones, while maintaining a competitive brand.

What investment has led to the greatest return for GGP?

Our website and branching out into the wholesale market by attending important trade shows.

What are some of your sources of inspiration these days?

I'm an IG fan and love to follow artisan enterprises, ethical brands, slow fashion, fair trade, humanitarian agencies, UN agencies, architecture, and many others.

Some of my favorite posts on fair trade, slow fashion, and humanitarian assistance include: @GlobalGoods, @AngelChang, @LiviaFirth, @Ecoage, @thecirclengo, @womensrefugeecommission, @unwomen, @rescueorg, #goodclothesfairpay, 

When it comes to travel, Bhutan was a highlight – it’s a magical place with beautiful artisanal products. Burma too.

Anything else you would like to add? 
Since GGP's founding, we continue to find ways to assist the artisan sector, from collaborating with fair trade entities to our leadership in membership organizations including the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise and the Fair Trade Federation where my colleague, Stephanie Harrison, is a member of the FTF board.

For more info about GGP, please visit: https://globalgoodspartners.org