People Tree Ltd.

The People Tree business developed from Global Village, an environmental campaigning NGO founded by British born Safia Minney in Tokyo in 1991.{{Cite web |title=People Tree takes root in Japan |url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/executive-impact/people-tree-takes-root-in-japan |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Japan Today |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Goworek |first=Helen |date=2011-01-01 |title=Social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry: a case study of a fair trade retailer |url=https://doi.org/10.1108/17471111111114558 |journal=Social Responsibility Journal |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=74–86 |doi=10.1108/17471111111114558 |issn=1747-1117}}{{Cite web |last=Wakabayashi |first=Liane |date=2015-02-02 |title=Going the extra mile for fair-trade fashion |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2015/02/02/issues/going-the-extra-mile-for-fair-trade-fashion/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Awardees |url=https://www.schwabfound.org/awardees/safia-l-minney/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Safia L. Minney |url=https://www.weforum.org/people/safia-l-minney/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}} It began as a clothing catalogue which featured hand woven and natural dyed hand bags, clothing, and clogs made by women from Bangladesh.{{Cite book|title=Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption.|last=Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal|year=2005}} Because it was difficult to find fair trade apparel products of a high enough quality for the Japanese market, Global Village started to do its own design in house. Safia Minney said, "When I started out […] we were investing in labour-intensive process while the industry was going in the other direction: mass-manufactured fashion, using synthetics instead of natural materials. We were dealing with very disadvantaged people in remote places."{{Cite book|title=More to Life Than Shoes: How to Kick-Start Your Career and Change Your Life.|last=Finer|first=Nadia and Emily|year=2011}}

Initially the Global Village business was run from the home of Safia Minney and her then-husband James Minney, who later became her business partner in founding People Tree.{{Cite web |title=I whispered in Prince Charles's ear, as I had with the Dalai Lama, 'you really should be wearing organic cotton' |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-simple-things/20140103/282355447680577 |access-date=2022-04-21 |via=PressReader}} In 1995, Fair Trade Company KK was formed as a limited company in Japan by transferring the fair trading activity of Global Village, and a shop was opened in the fashionable Jiyugaoka district, in Tokyo.{{Cite web|url=http://www.peopletree.co.uk/content/43/a-brief-history-of-people-tree|title=People Tree - OUR STORY}} In 1997, Safia Minney added a Fair Trade Fashion Collection, using eco-textiles, including organic cotton, to the products sold by Fair Trade Company.{{Cite web |date=2012-10-13 |title=Ethical Entrepreneurship: Safia Minney |url=https://ivycity.wordpress.com/achievement/ethical-entrepreneurship-safia-minney/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=Ivy City Tribune |language=en}} People Tree was working closely with textile artisan groups to help them meet environmental standards and develop their market potential, with two full-time designers.{{Cite web |date=2012-10-13 |title=Ethical Entrepreneurship: Safia Minney |url=https://ivycity.wordpress.com/achievement/ethical-entrepreneurship-safia-minney/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=Ivy City Tribune |language=en}}

In 2005, People Tree Japan launched its first 'prototype franchise' store in Tokyo.{{Cite web |title=People Tree |url=https://www.fashionabc.org/wiki/people-tree/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=fashionabc |language=en-US}}

In 2000, People Tree's business expanded to the UK{{Cite web |title=Awardees |url=https://www.schwabfound.org/awardees/safia-l-minney/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship |language=en}} where the brand formed a partnership with Co-operative Group.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} In 2006, then-CEO Safia Minney persuaded Top Shop executives to take People Tree into Topshop as a concession.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-safia-minney--jane-shepherdson-1788494.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-safia-minney--jane-shepherdson-1788494.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=How We Met: Safia Minney & Jane Shepherdson|website=Independent.co.uk |date=22 October 2011}}

By 2004, the company had expanded into 20 different countries and turned over $1.79 million.{{Cite book |last=Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal |title=Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption. |year=2005}}

In 2015, founder and CEO Safia Minney left the business after separating from her husband James Minney, who was Chief Financial officer.{{Cite web |last=McGregor |first=Kirsty |date=2022-04-21 |title=Power from the people: Safia Minney's sustainable fashion mission |url=https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/safia-minneys-mission-to-make-fashion-more-sustainable |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Drapers |language=en}}

In 2021 an ecommerce website was launched as 'the new home of People Tree in Europe'.{{Cite web |title=People Tree EU - the new European home of the ethical fashion pioneer |url=https://peopletree.eu/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=People Tree |language=en}} It does not have an office or staff in the EU.

As of 2021 James Minney was CEO of People Tree.{{Cite web |title=Fair Trade's Hall of Fame |url=https://wfto.com/fairtradeday2021/Hall-of-Fame.html |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=wfto.com}}

In August 2023, People Tree Ltd laid off the majority of UK staff amidst claims of financial problems and significant customer upset. CEO James Minney set out the problem in stark form:

"We are figuring out what is the right way to go forward and how we can build up from this minimal base to restart"

People Tree designs, manufactures, and markets its own label. It implemented the first supply chain for organic cotton and was the first organization in the world to achieve GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification for a supply chain located in the developing world.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} In the past it has worked in collaboration with designers like Orla Kiely and Bora Aksu,{{Cite web |title=Safia Minney MBE - People Tree Founder | Gordon Poole Agency |url=http://www.gordonpoole.com/talent/Safia-Minney-MBE/.}} as well as London's V & A Museum.{{cite web |title=People Tree x V&A Collaboration |url=https://www.peopletree.co.uk/edits/va-collection |access-date=8 September 2021 |website=People Tree |publisher=People Tree Ltd}} People Tree is sold in 500 stores around the world including ASOS.com.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} The company also runs its own e-commerce business.{{Cite web |title=Safia Minney MBE - People Tree Founder | Gordon Poole Agency |url=http://www.gordonpoole.com/Safia-Minney-MBE.aspx}}

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Category:Clothing retailers of the United Kingdom

Category:Retail companies established in 1991

Category:Fair trade brands

Category:1991 establishments in Japan