Posts filed under ‘Downtown’
The end of a chapter
The last couple of months have been pretty difficult for Global Fayre (meaning for David and Cheri).
We had realized towards the end of last year that we were struggling to cope with the store itself and all of the other activities that Global Fayre required of us, PLUS raising our two daughters PLUS Cheri being a Doula PLUS David doing his own stuff (what is that exactly?!)
We brought someone in to help at the store (Sophie was a great help and a real asset to the team) but by the time we got to the Spring of 2011 the message had firmly sunk in. We didn’t have the resources (financial, physical and emotional) to make the store work as well as it should or as well as we wanted it to.
So in May we took the decision to close the store itself, but to leave the door open to continue with fair trade talks, outside events at local churches and the online store.
Announcing the closure, and dealing with the customer/friend reaction was truly bitter/sweet. People had some very kind words to say, and we really felt appreciated, but then to feel the process take its own momentum; after all, stores open and close all the time, and we are just one of many. An inventory sale seamlessly turned in to a closing sale, with some very loyal customers getting the “one thing” that they had been wanting for a very long time but could never afford or justify. That was very satisfying to see.
We weren’t prepared for how emotionally draining the last two weeks would be; we lost count of the number of times we had “that” conversation about why we were closing, how we would be missed etc etc. Of course, person #200 means it just as much as the person #1 – so you try hard to have the conversation, yet again.
So the store is closed, and we were preparing for life after downtown Global Fayre…..and then David had a very interesting telephone conversation……..
“Hiding in Plain Sight” by Kim Peterson, opening at Global Fayre on October 1st, 2010
Kim Peterson stays busy creating art and chasing her two young daughters with her husband. She likes to think of herself as an eclectic being, so she also spends her time obsessing over music, reading, being passionate about politics, and writing freelance articles for the Ozarks Moms Like Me Magazine. Kim grew up in Tacoma, Wa but has lived in Upstate New York, Wyoming and eventually landed in in the Ozarks three years ago. She now calls Springfield home.
"She's out on a Whim"
Kim says she “likes the idea of playing with the things that people do, what they think and dream. The unmentionable acts hidden by the subconscious or a spy like quickness. People are afraid to let others know who they really are. Hiding in plain sight is what we, as people, do everyday.” The pieces being viewed will be her interpretation of this concept.
This is Kim’s debut showing at Global Fayre and First Friday Art Walk. To see more of her work, you can visit “Kim’s Eclectic” on facebook.
Find out what else is happening on First Friday here.
Check out the latest with Global Fayre here.
It’s Memorial Day Weekend!
If you are on our email e-blast list, you will already know that you can get 25% discount on any single item on Saturday and Monday (YES – you can come back again and get the discounts on both days!). If you are NOT on our e-blast list, you should be….sign up by clicking here!
Fair Trade and the fun of working directly with producer groups
One of the unexpected delights of working in the world of Fair Trade has been the opportunity to work on customized products with our producer groups. Unexpected, because as a retailer we source our products primarily through importer/wholesalers who have the direct relationship with the producers.
However, in several cases now we’ve been able to work through the importer to request custom products (we talked about this before when we launched the vegan market baskets from Ghana).
Our latest adventure in product design has been in the world of finger puppets, working with our friends at Inca Kids.
Since we are based in Springfield, natural habitat of the Red Cardinal (and home of the Springfield Cardinals!) it seemed obvious to have some Red Cardinals made…..this is how they turned out:
The next major event coming to downtown Springfield is the 30th Annual Saint Patricks Day Parade, so now we’re scratching our heads thinking about what finger puppets we should have made……ideas anyone?!
Making Progress
Saturday was a crazy day at Global Fayre – way busier than any day we have had before.
Being a ‘for-profit’ store, sales revenues are obviously important for us. But the real thrill factor on Saturday was the number of people that had clearly made the decision to be concious consumers for a significant part of their holiday shopping. In coming to Global Fayre they were showing their commitment to a number of things:
1 – Fair Trade. Awareness of Fair Trade in the Springfield area is definately growing. Hopefully we’ve played a part in this, but there are plenty of other people out there making great efforts to promote the concept too. Just the fact that we participated in 8 Fair Trade events this fall, compared to just one last year, is a good indication of our progress.
2 – Downtown Springfield. It hasn’t been an easy year for downtown Springfield. Seems like we’ve lost more stores than we have gained. BUT – it’s been great to see much more foot traffic and a growing number of downtown regulars. Feels like the growth of retail is lagging way behind the level of demand from customers.
3 – Buying Local. As a Fair Trade store selling products from all over the world, the ‘buy local’ concept is an interestting one for us. We started at a Farmers Market on C-Street, and we are passionate supporters of local production. What comes through from our customers is that they recognise us as a local store, plus they value our knowledge of the artisans that produce the products we carry; it really is a wonderful aspect of Fair Trade that you can feel closely connected to a group of weavers that live half way around the world.
All this to say that two years after opening Global Fayre it feels like we have started to make our home here in the downtown district of Springfield Missouri. We’re grateful to the community here for opening their hearts and minds to Global Fayre and Fair Trade. We’re also looking forward to playing our part in the continued development of downtown Springfield in the years to come.
Inside Global Fayre: Some images of the store
We are often asked what the store looks like, so we posted some images on Facebook earlier today.
Here’s just a few of them:
Cash wrap at Global Fayre
Inside Global Fayre
Kite in the mirror
New Opening Times
Tue 10:00am to 6:00pm
Wed 10:00am to 6:00pm
Thu 10:00am to 7:00pm
Fri 10:00am to 7:00pm
Sat 10:00am to 7:00pm
Sun 1:00pm to 5:00pm
We’ll be closed on Thanksgiving Day (November 27th)
We’ll be open on Black Friday (November 28th) and will have lots of goodies for you to sample, as well as the sale table (some things are marked down by 50%). Our friends and neighbors on South Campbell are open for Black Friday as well, so head downtown for some bargains and fun!
As you can see, we’re also opening on Sunday’s for the first time. We plan to keep these opening times for the rest of the year, and will let you know if and when we change them again.
First Friday at Global Fayre
First Friday will be here very soon – and we can’t wait!
We always look forward to First Friday Art Walk; it’s great having so many people downtown, everyone having a good time, all the galleries full to the brim. But this time we’re more excited than usual.
Why?
It started last week – we took delivery of a consignment of fantastic Zulu baskets. Some are traditional weave, others are a wonderful combination of the old and the new – baskets woven traditionally but using telephone wire. Vibrant colors, wonderful shapes and patterns – just outstanding. They were so wonderful that we couldn’t resist putting them out on show ahead of time (well, some of them – you have to hold something back for First Friday, right?!).
But these baskets are not the only reason for our excitement. We have live music again this month, this time from someone who has been a friend to Global Fayre pretty much since we first opened. Alexander Kofi (of Jah Kings) will be playing acoustic guitar and Djimbe drum. We’re really thrilled to have our friend here on Friday – it’s going to be an awesome evening!
First Friday Art Walk – Sept 5th
We’re delighted to have a double feature this month.
First off, we have the beautiful creations of Cheryl Draudt. Originally from Salt Lake City, Cheryl started to learn the challenging art of woodworking scroll shortly before moving to the Ozarks in 2000.
The pieces on display for First Friday reflect a natural wildlife theme, inspired by the beautiful areas that Cheryl has lived in, including Cougar and Cub, Wolf Pack and The Owl and Mouse.
Cheryl will also be on hand to describe in detail the challenging work that went in to each piece.
Moonhoney is Grace Easley on viola, Adriana Jones on vocals/piano, and Ryan Flores on vocals/guitar.
The music is a mixture of classical, flamenco, rock ‘n’ roll, Latin, and jazz filtered through a melodically refined Gypsy-Tango style that is both elegant and enticing. Adriana and Ryan share the compositional workload, each bringing different themes and textures to the creative palette. Adriana’s smooth melodies create intricate soundscapes through which her voice flows like water and Ryan’s driving finger-style guitar and intense vocal prowess provide an excellent backdrop for his playful and poetic lyrics. Weave in the warm tones of Grace’s viola and you have a recipe for something truly unique: a tapestry of sound that you’re not likely to forget or hear anywhere else.
Update on Campbell Avenue
We’ve had a difficult few months downtown with major disruption to traffic due to construction work centered on Campbell Avenue. It’s been really frustrating for retailers and customers alike, but hopefully it will be worth it when all is finished and the new movie house opens early in the fall.
Here’s the latest from the UDA:
Campbell Avenue Construction Update
July 17, 2008
As we see the end in sight for the construction work, we’d like to provide an update on the remaining timeline for the Campbell Avenue closure.
Beginning Friday, July 18, Campbell Avenue will be open to College Street and a left-turn will be available onto College.
By the following Friday, July 25, the Campbell/College intersection is expected to be completely open with left and right turns available onto College.
Campbell Avenue will have to remain closed north of the College Street intersection to complete repair work underneath Campbell and for construction of curb and gutter and sidewalk on Campbell between College and Olive.
Without too much additional bad weather, we anticipate this phase of the project to be completed by mid-August and Campbell can be fully re-opened to through traffic in time for the opening of Missouri State classes. If it is possible to temporarily re-open Campbell with at least one lane for the August First Friday Artwalk, we will work with the contractor on that.
In addition to the significant weather problems that caused delays throughout the spring and summer, there have been other factors that have contributed to the later-than-expected re-opening of Campbell. The primary factor has been the discovery of significantly worse sub-surface conditions under Campbell than anticipated at the start of the project. During the course of their work, the contractors have discovered a large amount of out-of-service utility infrastructure of many types – phone, water, sanitary sewer, electric, etc. Each time one of these utility issues has been uncovered, contractors have had to notify the appropriate utility and wait for inspections to make sure the utilities were not live for the safety of the work crews and to not disrupt service to customers.
The condition of the sub-surface also was worse than expected, likely as a result of the repeated construction projects for utilities, etc., over the years. So, it is requiring a higher degree of reconstruction than anticipated to improve the sub-surface before the final surface improvements are made. The process of replacing and “retiring” these utilities will greatly reduce the likelihood of needing to close Campbell for utility work in the future.
Once Campbell re-opens in mid-August, there will be no further full closures necessary on Campbell. Work on the Streetscapes surrounding College Station will continue into the fall and will necessitate some short-term partial side-street closures and potentially a short-term full closure on Market north of Olive. We will notify you of those schedules when they are more specific.
On behalf of the UDA, City staff and the contractors, we sincerely apologize for the inconveniences caused by the project, and particularly the delay of completion, for the businesses and customers. We hope that the final results will create both aesthetic and infrastructure improvements that will benefit the downtown area for many years to come. We look forward to celebrating the opening of the Hollywood Theaters this fall and the resulting traffic it will bring to the area.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact UDA at 831-6200.
Global Fayre 