Global Exchange is a nonprofit fair trade organization that operates stores selling goods from farmers and artisans around the world. The organization aims to pay fair wages and advocate for sustainable practices. The document discusses leadership opportunities at Global Exchange stores on the East Coast. It outlines suggestions made by the author during a meeting, including commissions, buying strategies, advertising, and increasing wages. While some ideas were acknowledged, there was no mention of implementing commissions or higher wages.

1. Global Exchange Store Ideas
Alexandra Berman

2.  Mission:
◦ Global Exchange (GX), is a fair trade non-
profit organization that operates a social
justice organization and a store.
◦ Dedicated to:
 Sourcing products from farmers and artisans
from around the world to an American
audience.
 Advocates for sustainable farming practices.
 Pays farmers and artisans a fair wage for
their goods, services and craftwork.

3. Product Examples:

4.  Portland, Oregon
 Washington, D.C.
 Shirlington, Virginia
 San Francisco, California
 Berkeley, California
 San Francisco, California
 Berkeley, California
Former Store locations:
Current Store locations:

5.  Portland closed in 2012.
 Shirlington, VA & Washington, D.C. closed in
2013.
 Change of leadership summer of 2012 at the
east coast locations.
Closings:

6. Leadership Opportunity:
 In light of leadership changes in Virginia and
Washington, D.C., I took the opportunity to
meet with the executive director and regional
manager when they came to visit the stores
July, 2012.
 I had worked at the east coast locations for
two years.
 At the time I was the most senior sales
associate and was responsible for 25% of all
sales of a ten person staff.

7. 1. Commissions & incentives
2. Buying
3. Advertising & Marketing
4. Wages
Agenda for the meeting:

8. Commissions & incentives:
 Suggested a
commission on
expensive and
unique items.
 To the right is a
giclee print of
President Lincoln
that sold for $159.
 Industry standard
for commission is:
3-5%.

9. Commissions and Incentive
continued:
 Recommended commissions on days over
a $1,000 in sales.
 Pooled commissions for highest day totals
between day and night shifts to
encourage team work.
 The ability to win a global exchange trip.

10. Buying:
 Introduce new items more regularly.
 Incorporate global retail trends when
selecting fair trade items.
 Poll staff for input about what sells at our
specific locations.

11. Buying & target groups:
 Majority of staff and clientele are women.
 Should focus on women throughout the
year.
 Women like to shop for the men in their
lives and this is especially true during the
holidays.
 Make sure to have an ample selection of
products for men October-December.

12. Advertising & Marketing:
 No formal budget for advertising.
 All advertising and marketing done
through social networking sites out of
headquarters in San Francisco.
 The east coast needed their own
Facebook, Twitter, or website, so they can
advertise local events and drive sales.
 Partner with other businesses to diversify
clientele and boost sales.

13. Wages:
 GX believes in paying a fair wage to
artisans and farmers.
 Doesn’t give a living wage to the
employees that run the stores.
 As of 7/1/2012, the living wage for
Arlington, Virginia, (the county where
Shirlington is located) was $13.13.
 Most Staff received $10 an hour.

14. Outcome:
 Acknowledged my initiative and thanked
me for my ideas.
 The regional director liked my idea of
being more seasonal with inventory.
 Agreed that the stores lacked products for
men beyond alpaca wool scarves, hats
and gloves.

15. Outcomes continued:
 Told me that the advertising and
marketing would continue to be
centralized from San Francisco.
 No mention about the wages, nor the
commission, nor incentive suggestions.
 Did concede that stores on the east coast
are different and should try to diversify
strategies.

16. How IE can help me to improve:
 Build off of my psychology training and
experience by strengthening my ability to
analyze market opportunities.
 Better understand how to leverage social
networks.
 Give me the opportunity to sharpen my
presentation skills.

17. How IE can help me to improve:
 Connect with peers and see how they
handled similar situations in the work
place.
 Gain insight about how to implement
advertising campaigns.
 Learn how to predict what customers
want.