03/27/2025
Ten Thousand Villages Albany-Board/Contract Store Update
Hello!
Thank you for your support in wanting to see our Ten Thousand Villages store and fair trade in Albany continue on!
Our community is absolutely amazing and we are so fortunate to have you and our community's support.
This is the first update in our process of gathering and sharing information to move forward.
On January 8th, Ten Thousand Villages main office announced that they would be closing the 13 company stores, to focus on e-commerce and wholesale partnerships. This included our Albany location in Stuyvesant Plaza, where we have resided for 24 years.
Ten Thousand Villages also has a network of approximately 24 Board managed stores that will continue on. These
stores are NOT affected by this announcement, as they are each set up as their own unique nonprofit corporations that partner with TTV to support global artisans through purchasing a majority of their merchandise through the Ten Thousand Villages main office. They sign a contract to be able to use the Ten Thousand Villages name. Under this agreement we would also now be able to bring in other fair trade products and include local artists in the new store.
We are currently in the process of organizing and filing the necessary paperwork to become one of these Board managed stores and are starting a Go-Fund Me page ( Corrected link to the GoFundMe
https://gofund.me/7d4d2434) to help with initial start-up costs to secure funding as we apply for grants and loans. We have found a wonderful location for a new store in East Greenbush at 700 Columbia Turnpike. We have filed for the incorporation as 518 Fair Trade Artisans and will sign the contract March 31st to be a Ten Thousand Villages Gift Shop. In this set up we would not be company financed/supported as we are now. We would have 1-2 paid staff, mostly volunteers and a board of directors to oversee the new store. We would be an independently operating store.
We do not want fair trade to leave the Albany area and are grateful for your support over the last 24 years. We are finding ways to continue our mission to be a resource for fair trade, empowering community, promoting environmental stability and ensuring that every product we sell makes a positive impact.
The location we wish to move into was the previous home of The Sweater Venture, a fair trade retailer for over 20 years before their retirement in 2022. We are currently working with the owner to secure a lease but need your help.
We are also offering several levels of partnership and recognition for those who contribute, including placement of your logo on promotional materials, featured recognition on our website, our new donor appreciation wall, and other possibilities. We would be honored to have your support in making a tangible difference in the lives of those we work with, while also aligning your brand with our values of sustainability and social impact. Your support, whether through a financial donation or partnership, will help us lay the foundation for a business that truly makes a difference.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to help us create lasting change. We are excited about the potential of our shared vision and look forward to continuing to serve our community.
If you have other ways in which you would like to help us build a strong foundation for our new store, we'd love to hear from you! Please forward this email to others who might be interested.
Future emails will come through [email protected]. We are also working on the new website www.518fairtradeartisans.com. The new phone number to reach me will be (518)596-7101.
Warm regards,
Linda Viertel
Ten Thousand Villages Albany
Company Store Manager
518 Fair Trade Artisans Founder
Ten Thousand Villages. A Fair Trade Retailer.
