Focus on Product / Missy's Musings
Though “sustainable” and “organic” are quite the buzzwords these days, they’ve been a part of our company vocabulary from the very beginning. We started almost 20 years ago without a lot of money, and with the trust of a few good suppliers, so conservation was critical. As we’ve grown, we’ve sought sustainable growth, growth that we could fund with our own internal resources. We have no outside investors and try to avoid bankers. We have come to find that most investors will drive us to grow at a fast, often wasteful and always unsustainable rate.
Ours is not some new-fangled business philosophy but one that has evolved organically over 20 years of selling products we use to people we like. If you stop by our offices, you’ll see our philosophy at work. The bike racks are full with our commuter bikes. Most of our employees live just a short distance away from our office. Sure, fewer hours in the car mean less carbon in the air, but it also means more time for family and fitness. Our chairs are not the latest from Herman Miller but rather the recycled ones from the business that used to be in our building. So for us, “sustainable” is not a marketing term, recycling is not just something we do with newspaper, it is a business necessity. If we conserve our assets, if we avoid frivolous technology, and continue to invest wisely when it is required, then we will be around to enjoy this business and our customers for many years to come.
Yes, we are still a multi-channel retailer and we DO send out lots of catalogues. But as we move more of our business to the internet and get smarter about how we use our data, we are actually sending out fewer catalogs even as we grow our business. This most certainly does have a “green” impact, but it also saves us and ultimately our customers the kind of green that we can all put in the bank. The catalogs we do send are all recyclable and are made from a renewable resource. The wood we use for our paper pulp comes from sustainably-managed forests and is independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Last, and perhaps most important, are the products we sell. We do not sell disposable fashion, never have, never will. From the beginning, we’ve had a rule for ourselves. We won’t sell anything that we might be embarrassed to wear next year. And the clothes that we do sell? Well, they are meant to be worn hard and worn well for a good long time.
Tags: GreenMissy Park
Next Physical Fitness vs Fiscal Fitness
Previous Commit to fitness this year
Karen Moody says:
February 7th, 2009 at 5:51am
I am so impressed with this company and have been for many years. I love the clothes and commitment to quality and sustainability. I am thrilled that you will be opening a store in my city. I can’t wait! My friends are very excited as well. Thank you! thank you! thank you!
Karen King says:
February 1st, 2009 at 9:38pm
I am glad to see your stance on sustainability as well as committment to quality. I am a fairly new, but so far, satisfied customer and I was just wondering how many suppliers you generally use and what Title Nine is doing to prevent child and/or slave labor products from finding their way into your product line. This issue has become a growing problem all over the world and it is of great concern to me. Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond to my question.
Diana Gilson says:
Beautiful and well written! Makes me so proud to have been a faithful east coast Title Nine customer for the past 8 years!
KellyBelly says:
January 28th, 2009 at 7:55am
What a great post! As someone who used to work in “corporate america” in marketing; it is refreshing to see a company that has been and continues to operate smartly with health and wellness for it’s employees, the environment, and their customers as a core priority.
nursebeanpole says:
I agree with KellyBelly. I found T9 a few years ago and have always been satisfied with the products and the ability to wear them year after year. They hold up well, even after a day of hiking or running, and still look fashionable, several years later. Good for T9 to truly encourage folks to be environmentally friendly. If only there was a store located on the east coast….