Welcome, Friend. So, here's the story so far ...
2013 was when I began to get anxious. I'd been working in retail, I'd studied retail, and I tried to be an informed consumer. With time, I found the waste we leave in our trails disheartening and jobs in the retail industry are generally not well-paid. My happiest purchases are those where I feel connection to the maker. Often times, it seems that not only do those products gain quality from skill and knowledge of the craft and the hands-on process of small batch production, but those makers tend to align with values of sustainable sourcing and fair labor practices. Farmer's markets aren't always convenient and I'm not much of an Internet shopper. Though the web has some benefits, I'd strive to keep a diverse and thriving small business community as seen in tourist towns and even smaller cities. It struck me that what I envisioned was right out of the past. Chicago's got great small business, but nothing's in my neighborhood to the tune of that classic old fashioned community general store! I wrote a business plan and began to ask around to see if friends could help make this happen. I was looking for a year's capital in the bank to open doors with. By September 2016...I had exactly $10,000.28. I felt stuck but encouraged more than ever to create an enterprise which served to protect the environment, animals, and social justices.
With Winter approaching, I bargained with a private landlord to create a small version of my plan with a 2-month lease. I hired a couple of students and a wander-luster - a wonderful crew to help man the ship while I was at my full-time department store job 50+ hours/ week.
We called the pop-up shop Evil Eye Mercantile with symbolism standing for protection.
I curated product which met these standards :
- USA small-batch made
- Cruelty Free
- Earth-friendly production
In many cases, this product was/is not yet carried in Chicago. I'd like to connect customers with fantastic small brands from all around the States. I often seek out brands which are American Indian owned and operated. I also seek out brands which use renewable energies and sustainable packaging. During the pop-up-shop we carried everything from soaps and lotions to herbal tonics, bottle openers, & chocolates. In a permanent space I will seek to carry absolutely anything a customer would want to grab at their general store and look forward to building rapport so that we can fill those needs!
What we offer goes beyond great products. I believe that learning about and educating others on all the great things going on in our world is beyond putting a value on. Each of the brands carried was asked to share a cause which they felt great about and Evil Eye Mercantile gave 5% to protect those causes. On the scale that we're at so far that doesn't amount to so much monetarily, but my hope is that by promoting those organizations alongside the brands of our makers we will connect new fans to them and nourish positive thought.
Sure, it was a struggle of a season across the board for retailers, but we weren't ready to leave! We signed up for 2 more months and headed into Holiday 2016! If you happen to be acquainted with the sorts of overhead involved in launching a small business, you may appreciate the budget and the compromises. Advertising was limited to social media and flyers on street poles and coffee shop cork boards. Consequently, customer base was generated by neighbors telling neighbors who told neighbors. In the end, I suppose that's fitting. I mean, it is just how an old general store would have become part of a community, isn't it? We grew revenue a little each month, but not enough to hurdle start up costs without more savings.
At the end of January we held a vegan benefit event for Factory Farm Awareness Coalition, hugged and high-fived, and turned out the lights on that chapter of this venture.
Currently, you can find me setting up shops at local markets whenever my full-time job allows. Chicago has a very strong vegan community. Since almost all product sourced is free of animal product (some products do contain beeswax, honey, or unverified sugar) there is much to share with this thoughtful and engaging group of consumers. Even when our brick-and-mortar doors are open, we'll keep popping up about this city to spread the good goods!
Our webshop: www.EvilEyeMercantile.com shares a different charitable organization alongside the brand which recommended it each week. Going forward, we'll explore ways to maximize those contributions and grow Evil Eye Mercantile as a resource for learning of good deeds. The storefront will often spotlight brands and causes and think of creative ways to promote them and grow their individual followings. We'll also host events to raise funds and awareness of non-profits and
continue to work with other local businesses to build a positive and
lasting commercial base within the neighborhood or neighborhoods we are a
part of.
We'll continue to look for ways to improve upon our footprint. We currently re-use packaging materials in web order shipments and our brands often reuse packaging from their suppliers. We'll plan to offer reusable canvas totes as alternates to our paper bags. My desire is to build a venue of ideas in this community store. As it grows, I want to continue to offer creative ways to reduce waste such as promoting refillable product packaging. I want to engage our guests with workshops and guest lectures to inspire action in saving our planet and building a more universally abundant world. I'm constantly inspired by ideas in the community of ethical brands and what they're doing in other markets. If it can be done in Austin, Boulder, & Portland I know Chicago can do it too!
Please help me make this a reality! This can be done on a reasonable budget and I can be very frugal but sooner is better because there is SO MUCH heartful work to be done!
Though I studied retailing (Syracuse University) and marketing (University of Illinois at Chicago) and work in a department store, it honestly bores me when people talk about the things they have bought. Most everything I own I've had for 20+ years and the products I buy are almost always with thought. I feel grounded in the past in that I am always inspired by the stories of adventure and exploration which precede us.
Some people around here know me from a little passion project I started about 5 years back.Vegan Tuesday Chicago started as a way to hold myself accountable for seeking out vegan food more often. As I found myself genuinely loving what I was discovering I wanted to share with others and encourage them to support these local businesses. I'm thrilled when my little directory finds itself useful to someone else and I am grateful for the certain sense of reflection and conscious consumption which moving towards plant-based diet brought with it.
Investor - Peggy Scanlan
When you start being able to count how long you've been friends by decades, it's really something special. I'll leave it to you to determine how many decades I've known Kris! Plenty of years to be able to tell you that this endeavor has been in the works for a very long time. And that you'll be hard-pressed to find someone more passionate about conscious consumerism than Kris. I jumped at the opportunity to be one of Kris's initial investors. As a health coach and newish mom of a vivacious two-year-old (Nora), it's more important to me than ever to make healthy choices for my family, community, our animal friends, and the environment. But it's not particularly easy to be a conscious consumer. I love the idea of an old-fashioned general store where people can shop with confidence that their purchases are high-quality, fun and luxurious, while also supportive of the earth and our community. I hope you will join me with an investment of your own in support of a better world for all of us!
Investor - Chris Drath
For my day job, I'm a writer and communication consultant. But, my most important job is mom to our daughter, Morgan (dog Barkley too). My husband and I live in the Chicago area and care about the environment we're leaving for our daughter and future generations. That's one of the big reasons we're supporting Kris in this effort. She's smart, motivated and extremely knowledgeable, plus dedicated to giving back! Kris has already done the work for you by finding earth-friendly products made in the USA that you can feel good about. I've personally tried many of the products and have a number of favorites. This is an extremely worthwhile endeavor.
