09/02/2024
With a great sense of reflection, and some sadness, Community Supply will close permanently at the end of September. The environment for running a small retail business in Sonoma has become untenable for us.
Community Supply was born of the desire to cultivate local economy through buying and selling handmade goods while giving priority shelf space to women and people of color. At a time when we can have just about anything we desire shipped to our door overnight, I hoped that our shop could rekindle a love of shopping in person. From the onset, we stocked our shelves with products and items that kept the environment in mind.
We focused our attention on sourcing sustainable products for the home and personal care products free from harmful chemicals and preservatives. We built relationships with dozens of local makers, and circled out from there, doing our best to offer products made as close to home as possible. We consciously chose products with limited packaging and kept a small selection of bulk products to eliminate unnecessary waste.
In our original location on 5th Street West, we hosted several Maker’s Markets where buyers and sellers could meet one another and form business-to-consumer connections. In our new location in Sonoma Marketplace, we offered makers the opportunity to host pop up shops. We counseled and advised countless partners on ways to position, price and promote their goods. We cut our own profits so that we could offer our local providers a fair price for their goods, never asking them to take the hit so that we could profit.
Community Supply embraced the high ideals of promoting and cultivating a true local economy built on dignity and equity. By working with local makers and providing the space and assistance necessary to launch a micro business, we helped people feel empowered and seen.
Small businesses provide more than a variety of places to shop, eat and access services we need for life; they are the lifeblood of a healthy socioeconomic community. Even though it is the end for Community Supply, we will continue to sound the warning bell: SHOP LOCAL!
We are so grateful to the loyal clientele that supported our mission. There are so many people in our community who walked in our door and immediately understood what we were trying to do and did their best to keep us rolling. Thank you, and we love you! I'm forever grateful to my work family: Michele Schulz, Nick Koerner, Wayne Ritchie, and Maria Feore. Thank you for your patience and kindness.
Beginning September 3rd, and continuing throughout the month, we will be doing our best to sell through our remaining inventory. We have so many wonderful and useful things left on our shelves! Please shop early and help us meet our final obligations.
As for me? I’m not sure yet. I’ve been “out riding fences for so long now” as the CEO and 100% stockholder of my business for 20 years that I am not sure where I’ll land. I plan to continue teaching yoga & meditation with Sonoma Yoga as I plot my next moves. Reach out if you have a compelling job for me! I’ve got a ton of skills that I am ready to lend to the right organization.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa Willett
Owner & Founder of Community Supply
CEO of Sonomasté Yoga Inc
