Fair Trade Retailer Ten Thousand Villages Will Close Almost All Of Its Canadian Stores

Fair Trade Retailer Ten Thousand Villages Will Close Almost All Of Its Canadian Stores
Yelp/Colanie B

While it’s only the first month of a new year, Canada has, unfortunately, already been hit with a number of store closure announcements.

In 2020 so far, retailers like Bose, Links Of London, and Carlton Cards have announced the shuttering of locations across the nation, and now we have one more retailer to add to the ever-growing list of retail store closures.

ten thousand villages
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Fair Trade Retailer Ten Thousand Villages recently announced that it will be closing the majority of its Canadian locations.

For those unfamiliar with the store, Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit social enterprise that features everything from home decor and furniture to clothing and accessories made by communities across the globe. Its mission is to provide a stable income and platform for makers in developing countries to sell and showcase their crafts.

ten thousand villages
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Unfortunately, after 74 years, Ten Thousand Villages will be closing its Canadian operations.

The closures affect the head office, distribution office in New Hamburg, ON, e-comm store, wholesale operations, and 10 stores.

In a press release, the brand noted that they “have been unable to achieve the level of sales that would continue to provide [them] with the ability to operate a sustainable business model,” leading the Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCCC) to close the social enterprise of Ten Thousand Villages Canada.

ten thousand villages
Instagram/@januyasotharan

The anticipated date for the last store closure is May 29, 2020.

Shoppers can expect to see stores close in British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta. See a full list of closure dates on the Ten Thousand Villages Canada website.

However, it won’t be the very end of Ten Thousand Villages. Under the company’s current business model, a selection of stores are owned and operated by separate boards. Three stores — Port Colbourne, Ontario; Point Claire, Quebec; and Cobourg, Ontario — will remain open.

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