Express & Star

Rise of Social Enterprises & Ethical Shopping

It's quite fair to say that people are now thinking more about what they buy.

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Not just considering the aesthetic qualities of an item but thinking more deeply about it as a whole. Thinking about its origins, the impact of a purchase made, what are you ultimately supporting, buying into the item's background story …….

Whilst we all want value for money, yet the desire for a clearer conscious within the purchase process is becoming more evident in our shopping habits as we check labels for keywords such as: organic, fairtrade, sustainable - to name a few.

One example of social enterprise is a well-documented company who take industrial waste materials and turn them into stylish luggage and then donate 50% of the profits to charity. Also, high-end chocolatiers Divine are co-owned by a cocoa farmers' co-operative in Ghana which gives the co-operative a greater support mechanism.

On a more local level, dessert macaroon manufacturer Miss Macaroon, as well as regularly being part of the regional food scene, has now given her business more accessibility by opening a shop in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade (by Snow Hill station) where customers can elegantly enjoy feasting on macaroons over a glass or two of Prosecco.

The business branded as 'Macaroons That Make A Difference', Founder and MD Rosie Ginday has strived to provide employment and training programmes for unemployed young people, in particular young care leavers and ex-offenders. Miss Macaroon currently provides a four week pastry training course for 18-35 year-old, long term, unemployed people in the Midlands. All of the macaroons produced are made by these trainee patisserie chefs supported by a team of professional chefs. With the debut of the shop, Miss Macaroon will be offering a scheme in line with this, which will give these vulnerable young people the opportunity to pursue a career in retail as well.

The jump for Miss Macaroon from her online presence to having a retail outlet has certainly highlighted how businesses are taking a more openly visual approach to showcase their activity and that ethics don't mean compromising business objectives and profitability.

Whilst donating a large sum of money to a charity is commendable, it's sometimes the smaller gestures, like buying a macaroon, which can have a larger, more direct impact - such as helping someone to get on their feet again and re-build their lives. It's a win-win scenario – you have the treat and someone gets a chance.

In this case, eating sweet goodies has never tasted so good.

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