Fair and Fabulous, a treasured BAFTS member, is nestled in the beautiful Teifi Valley in rural West Wales. The shop was described by one adoring customer as “retail therapy with a heart”. You are welcomed with huge warmth, local wisdom, a wide-ranging selection of fairly traded products that change regularly and a whole lot of fun and fancy dress. It’s a shopping experience that is impossible not to love.
Even more impressive is the shop and town’s deep history and connection with Fair Trade.
As the Christmas window display goes up – undoubtedly alongside a dash of dressing up – Lenshina, one of the shop founders, tells us more about this fabulous BAFTS member.
Let’s start with your fair trade journey from founding the shop to becoming instrumental in Newcastle Emlyn achieving Fair Trade Town status in 2014?
Our journey to becoming a Fair Trade Town actually started before Fair and Fabulous did!
In 2012 Jill (the second founder) was working as a sole trader selling reusable shopping bags. She was campaigning for a plastic bag tax in Wales. Many of the bags were Fair Trade, which sparked her interest in the whole Fair Trade movement.
With the support and encouragement of our friend and fellow BAFTS member Martha Muzonza Holman from Love Zimbabwe, Jill and the Fair Trade working group achieved Fair Trade Town status in 2014.
Once Fair and Fabulous was formed it acted as a meeting point and recruitment station for people interested in driving the campaign forwards. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary of FT town status last year with Martha as guest of honour!
What changes would you most like to see in making the fair trade movement more diverse and inclusive
As individual businesses we need to build up the courage to speak out against all forms of discrimination. Especially in the dark times we are currently going through with the rise of racism nationally and globally. If our voice is heard speaking strongly on these issues then people from diverse backgrounds will be more likely to feel that this is a movement they can be part of.
(BAFTS is a signatory to the Hub Cymru Africa Anti Racism Charter.)
Independent brick-and-mortar shops face enormous challenges today. It seems like there is a true community effort to keep the high street going. Can you tell us more?
Our biggest challenge is the lack of footfall on the high street. When the town lost its banks it had a major impact and several key destination shops shut leading to empty properties.
We have adapted by working together with other businesses and the town council to promote the highstreet as a tourist and a shopping destination.
We have a town voucher scheme. Vouchers bought as presents can be spent in any participating shop and we are working to encourage big employers locally to buy these voucher as staff Christmas presents rather than vouchers for big chains.
How do you get into the festive spirit at Fair and Fabulous?
Lots of mulled wine (made with Fairtrade wine obviously!!!). The festive season really starts for us on our Town’s Victorian Night. Each year we go overboard in picking a theme and dressing the shop window and ourselves to fit in with that.
Previous year’s themes have included A Christmas Carol, Votes for Women and Victorian bathing huts complete with a real beach in the shop window. Yes, we are still finding sand years later!
Running a fair trade shop must mean you’ve tried some interesting products over the years! What’s the most unusual or surprising fair trade item you’ve ever stocked?
Some of the most “interesting” products have come from occasional inability to read dimensions when ordering online. Hence the giant salad servers and massive Mexican hot chocolate whisk! Our customers know we are mad but these were particularly impressive! In the end we had to run a “guess what it is to win it” competition to get rid of the whisk.
What gives you hope for the future of fair trade retail in the UK?
The new suppliers who come onboard from different backgrounds and with a huge range of innovative products. The quality and uniqueness of these products helps to change people’s attitude. It moves from buying ethically as a some sort of moral duty to buying something amazing for which the ethical credentials are the cherry on the top!
We love Lenshina’s final words on why being a member of BAFTS is important to Fair and Fabulous…
Sometimes running a business that aims to do things differently can feel like a lonely battle. Being part of the BAFTS community gives us the support of a like minded community that will rejoice in our successes and give a shoulder to cry on when things are tough.
Find out more about being a BAFTS member here.
Is this for BAFTS members info only?