Eco-friendly goes mainstream

by agentile | Apr 19, 2013

Green becomes massive at Terra20, Ottawa’s first eco-friendly department store, in one of the city’s biggest malls.

Ten years ago in Ottawa, you couldn’t find an eco-friendly store, a place that sells products that aren’t harmful for the environment, if your life depended on it. Yet at a certain point things changed. Independent local entrepreneurs started to invest in this untapped market. Today, eco-friendly fashion has definitely emerged as a mainstream trend: There are more than ten boutiques around Ottawa, a fairly large number for a small city.

But being part of the mainstream means that bigger players will join the game. Last September, Ottawa’s first eco department store was opened. Terra20, at Pinecrest Shopping Centre, boasts 20,000 sq. ft. of eco-friendly products that range from apparel to cosmetics.

Clearly Terra20 is just the first of many to come. But will eco-friendly megastores murder smaller businesses?

There are mixed opinions about this. While the argument exists that eco-friendly boutiques and department stores cater to different clienteles, some observers fear that big stores naturally will put small stores out of business because of lower prices. Others see Terra20 and the like as an opportunity for eco-friendly products to become even more popular.

Adorit Boutique owner Emma Inns was inspired to open her fair-trade and eco-friendly store in Ottawa after a life-changing experience that she had, observing sweatshops in Tibet.

Two different lifestyles?

Emma Inns is the owner of Adorit Boutique, an eco-friendly small store on York Street. “I don’t support the idea of a big department store, but we’re definitely not in competition,” she says. She thinks that Terra20 will not affect smaller businesses like hers because it is aiming for a different type of customer. Inns says that there are two groups of people who buy eco-friendly: ethical shoppers and trend shoppers. Ethical shoppers make a conscious choice because they believe in changing the world through small acts, while trend shoppers think it’s cool and affordable to buy these products. Inns believes ethical shoppers would not be attracted by a big department store because they support local independent businesses.

Pamela Tourigny, community manager for Terra20, concurs. “Our intent is not in any way to siphon off the business from the smaller stores,” she says. Tourigny doesn’t think Terra20 will have an impact on smaller businesses; on the contrary, she hopes it will actually help increase sales for smaller stores by creating a larger awareness about eco-friendly products.

Bulk items, lower prices

But some see the risk that competitive prices at large department stores might steal business from the small independents. Laura Ferrari, a 25 year old who has just entered the workforce, considers herself an ethical shopper. However, she says that she would definitely go to the department store if it sold the same products at lower prices, because that would still be an ethical choice for the environment.

Nevertheless, Inns doesn’t think that lower prices will lure consumers straight to department stores. Many eco-friendly shoppers prefer the smaller stores because they offer an experience of exotic diversity. Also, these people usually love thrifting and second-hand, which are not things you would find at a department store, says Inns. “It’s a whole different atmosphere from the corporate one of department stores.” However, Inns concedes, trend shoppers will be attracted to bigger stores because they offer a greater diversity of products at one location.

Amelie Lavigne, 21, a student who shops eco-friendly, sees only good news in Terra20’s arrival. She sees a big opportunity for the environmental movement to become more popular. She argues that if it remains a niche market, it will never make much difference to the planet’s health. “The more people are aware of eco-friendly products, the more chances there are that it will become the norm rather than the exception,” she says.

The rise of eco-friendly

Terra20 offers customers eco-friendly products in a more organized and conventional big-floor environment.

Obviously, the opening of a department store like Terra20 means that there is already an eco-friendly Ottawa market. One reason why, observers say, is thrift. In fact, store owners like Inns say that eco-friendly did really well in the recession because many boutiques offer second-hand clothes, which are a cheaper alternative as well as a good environmental choice.

Another reason why eco-friendly is growing is that the clothes themselves have become more beautiful and fashionable, according to Sarah Barr, owner of Green Tree Eco Fashion. “These clothes are not just plain and ugly any more,” she says. Many designers now make eco-friendly clothes that are as sophisticated as the ones by the greatest fashion brands, she says. Barr also argues this is allowing the products to be separated from certain lifestyle labels. “Now you can wear eco-friendly without being considered a hippie,” she says. This is definitely attracting different kinds of people to buy eco-friendly, beyond the traditional ethical consumers mentioned by Inns.

One sign of the times was Ottawa’s first Eco Fashion Week, held two years ago. People in the capital really care about these products, and the demand for them is constantly increasing.

A little big problem

Annabelle Boudreault, 21, an Environmental Studies graduate from the University of Ottawa, agrees that eco-friendly has become a very profitable business. In fact, she says, big retailers the world over are starting to notice it. She doesn’t see the emergence of eco-friendly department stores as a negative thing, because it means that more people will have access to these products. The main problem lies in that retail stores usually seek expansion, and that is not a good thing for the environment, she says.

In fact, Terra20’s Tourigny confirms that the owners are hoping to open many other stores in Ottawa and Toronto. “We are planning an aggressive expansion in order to reach more people,” she says.

Boudreault fears that Terra20’s expansion will mean more waste production and energy consumption. “Stores have to remain local and sustainable if there is to be a real benefit for the world,” she says.

‘Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of shopping their way to sustainability.’ – Terra20 spokesperson Pamela Tourigny

There is also the baseline problem that large department stores depend on sales volume. Boudreault sees an inherent contradiction within this, because selling more means more environmental waste.

Surprisingly, Tourigny agrees: “I think that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of shopping their way to sustainability, because we really need to be reducing consumption.” That’s why Terra20 offers high quality products that people don’t have to replace constantly, she says. However, Tourigny believes a lot of people aren’t ready to abandon having nice new clothes for the sake of a life of perceived sacrifice. Terra20’s role is to fill the gap, so that such people can own nice things that are environmentally sustainable, she says.

Boudreault argues that the way stores like Terra20 choose to make money will determine whether they will be positive for the environment or not. Will they make responsible choices and remember that one of their objectives is to help the environment? Or will their overriding goal, at the expense of all others, be profit? Nevertheless, she is optimistic that eco-friendly department stores will aim for the right direction, if only for public-relations considerations: Consumers everywhere are really starting to understand the extent of the consequences if real change doesn’t take place.

“We’re coming to the point of realization where people know that we have to take action before it’s too late,” says Boudreault. “I hope that the shift will come really soon.”