Sourav Mondal
Sarah De Leon, founder and CEO of Sustainable Market
Sustainable Market, based in Monterey Bay, California, is launching its first proof-of-concept physical retail store on the foundations of eco-friendliness and sustainability. The exclusively green-conscious store is committed to bringing eco-lifestyle goods to eco-aware customers. Sarah De Leon, founder and CEO, is an experienced entrepreneur with a diversified portfolio of launching successful retail stores for large corporations.
“The nature of sustainability currently is restricted to very few activities, like using paper straws instead of plastic straws. We satisfy ourselves with a few changes and then spend the rest of the day creating double the amount of damage to the environment. This has to change,” says De Leon. The lack of practical enthusiasm relating to sustainability and the ripple effects of this stagnating mindset birthed in De Leon the desire to make eco-friendly goods accessible, affordable, and available, making it a viable option when deciding which goods to buy, without having to sacrifice on quality.
Sustainable Market prides itself on hosting purely sustainable products, benefitting the environment and the community. The innovative store challenges the common preconception that organic and sustainable products are interchangeable. Striving to make a change in the current trend of sustainability, De Leon shares, “We are based on true sustainability. This means we go beyond organic farming and encompass distinct choices in the manufacturing, design, and packaging of a lifestyle product. At Sustainable Market, we intend to provide everything that customers will need to function in an eco-conscious manner every single day.”
Amidst several contemporary outfits emphasizing the significance of buying eco-friendly products, Sustainable Market is unique in its approach. Everything in the store has been built and arranged according to high standards, with environmental well-being at the forefront of the design process. The shelves display a wide assortment of lifestyle products such as toothbrushes, clothes, toys for children with eco-friendly & safe paint, and furniture. The store operates on the basis of being transparent with customers, detailing the source, life cycle, and future of each product on the shelf. De Leon explains, “Our brand integrity lies in full transparency. Everything in our store, from the ground up, is done with sustainable design in mind, which we then integrate with technology.”
Sustainable Market recognizes that technology plays a substantial role in successfully continuing down the path of eco-friendliness. De Leon alludes to this, asserting, “It is important to me to be able to harmonize sustainability and technology in how the store works. Using technology allows us to demonstrate to the customer how the product they choose to buy is sustainable from start to finish. The more they see, the more they will realize how easily accessible and functional sustainable items are.”
Out of the various eco-products available at the store, products made of bamboo hold a special place in Sustainable Market’s inventory. Bamboo has near-infinite potential to be renewed and consumes fewer natural resources during manufacturing. Bolstered by advantageous traits like being stronger than steel and more flexible than wood, bamboo is a gift to the sustainable world. Its significant biodegradability makes it an ideal choice for the manufacture of lifestyle products like clothes. Sustainable Market recognizes the validity of using bamboo on a large scale, encouraging customers to make the shift from cotton to bamboo fiber. De Leon adds, “Bamboo fiber is highly durable and very comfortable to wear, with a much lower ecological footprint than other materials. Customers deserve access to the most sustainable products without the luxury price tag that is often attached. This is very important to us at Sustainable Market.”
The store is dedicated to empowering eco-manufacturers with an avenue to sell their products. The products are vetted based on specific criteria with regard to their entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to manufacturing and then packaging. Once the products have passed Sustainable Market’s detail-oriented criteria, they are ready to be hosted on the store’s shelves.
As part of their unique nature of operations, Sustainable Market ensures that staff members are taken care of. The newly launched store has an independent back area reserved for employees to be comfortable during breaks. Additionally, the company involves the community in its activities. Furniture donations are accepted as part of the upcycling initiative. These items are refurbished and displayed in the store for sale. Another community initiative that Sustainable Market executes regularly is partnering with third-party centers to help homeless individuals by supplying them with ‘fresh-start packs’ including toothbrushes, soap bars, umbrellas, and other items. Additionally, 5% of all the company’s profit is donated to various charities and organizations.
De Leon muses, “I intend for Sustainable Market to be a collectively supportive store, reaching out to the community and customers alike, walking together on the road to achieving complete sustainability and protecting this beautiful planet of ours.”