Economy
Ethical retailer of the week: Frugi
UK based company, Frugi, offers beautiful, organic clothes for mums, babies and young children. The designs are bright and colourful and customers can shop with confidence, as all products are ethical and safe for sensitive skin.
Frugi has a range of clothes for babies and children from newborn to 10 years with a selection of babygrows, dresses, coats, pyjamas and much more.
The company began in a spare room in 2004 after parents Kurt and Lucy Jewson struggled to find clothes that would fit their baby boy while they were using eco-friendly cloth nappies.
They decided to make their own clothes, and created the company originally called Cut4Cloth. Once the website was up and running, the company saw an immediate response and has grown ever since.
The range extended to include kids clothes and a range for mums in 2006 and saw a rebrand to Frugi in 2008, which means ‘fruits of the earth’ in Latin.
Based in Cornwall, the company has continued to grow and expand. This year the Frugi celebrates its tenth birthday and has got a list of awards to show for the years.
In July the company won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognised for the huge achievements in international trade as products are exported all over the world.
Shortlisted for the 2013 Observer Ethical Awards for retailer of the year was also a proud achievement.
Frugi make clothes to be “as ethical as possible” and all products are certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), ensuring social responsibility throughout the textile supply chain. Clothes also have the Soil Association certification meaning products are organic and also ethical.
The company ensures suppliers must have the Social Accountability International Standard (SA8000) certification, which means manufacturers look after employees and provide them and their families with health insurance.
These certifications mean the clothes are not only organic but also ethical and are made in factories without child labour and where workers earn a guaranteed minimum wage.
The ethical company has also donated over £130,000 to conservation projects to protect the planet.
Groups supported include, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the Woodland Trust, and Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Frugi also has a warehouse clearance every year to raise money for an orphanage in India.
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Further reading:
Shortlist revealed for 2013 Observer Ethical Awards
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