Today's Stockist Spolight features Morgan, owner of The Social Goods Marketplace. You can find TERRA along with many other sustainable products at 4002 Shenandoah Ave, St. Louis, Missouri.
1. What was the inspiration behind opening your shop, The Social Goods Marketplace?
For quite a few years now, I have wanted to start my own business and I have always known that it would be related to some kind of social impact work. Since I finished college in 2017 I have been working for small, socially-minded brands doing transformative work for their communities in an effort to learn more.
I learned a lot from these brands and saw their struggle to have a broader reach with their products as their resources were more focused on community impact. I started to envision a place where all kinds of products from social impact brands could be found in one place, a sort of one-stop-shop for the conscious consumer and that was the beginning of the train of thought that became The Social Goods Marketplace.
2. Your products are all very consciously sourced. How do you decide and finalize which products to carry?
The products we carry at The Social Goods Marketplace are organized into 3 categories that exemplify the values that underpin the store. Those values are sustainability, social justice, and self-care. So, I am looking for products that either directly support these ideals or spark awareness around the issue.
3. Why is St. Louis the right home for Social Goods?
St. Louis is my hometown and a great place for a young person to start a business. I spent 3 years in Ghana and there’s a whole movement there of young people that were educated abroad who then chose to move back home to improve their communities. They definitely inspired me to think about where I was from and if I thought I could contribute anything to that space. I am a global citizen at heart but my family is here and my upbringing is here, so I’m super excited to feel like I am contributing to the community here in a meaningful way.
4. Social Goods is right in the middle of its grand opening (massive congrats!), what are your plans going forward for the shop?
With a new physical space I definitely feel like the sky is the limit. In the most immediate future I’m looking at adding patio furniture and a grab-and-go fridge so that people can really hang out and settle in to the space and just spend time reading and chatting with neighbors. As COVID allows, I’m looking forward to hosting all kinds of events, workshops, mingles, and talks. Overall, I just want to create a welcoming community gathering space so I’m excited to see how things will evolve.
