Spotlight | Uncommon Goods

Welcome to Broadway Stages' Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. We encourage our readers to consider supporting these organizations to advance the local community. This week, we bring you the Brooklyn-based online and catalog retailer Uncommon Goods!

One day in 1999, Dave Bolotsky found himself at a craft show. As he perused the items on sale, he thought there should be something like this sale online. He envisioned a website connecting makers and their creations with shoppers looking for truly unique goods. Thus, Uncommon Goods was born. Today, it employs 150 year-round team members and delivers thousands of packages from Brooklyn to customers nationwide daily.

Uncommon Goods is set apart from others by its overarching commitment to positively impacting both people and the planet. They have three driving principles behind their operations: to be environmentally conscious, to give back through nonprofit organizations (one of them being our friends at The Campaign Against Hunger), and to put people first by being a considerate employer. They hold themselves to a high social responsibility standard as a certified B Corporation. Their efforts in this were recognized in 2018 when they were named a Forbes Small Giant, an annual list celebrating 25 standout businesses that favor greatness over growth. They have also been listed on the B Lab Best for the World in the Community five times.

They are environmentally conscious in several different ways. They use recycled or sustainable materials whenever possible and encourage their artists to do the same. They also print their catalog on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper and use environmentally friendlier packing materials. Finally, their products have always been leather, feather, and fur-free.

To empower their desire to give back, they established their Better to Give program. Through the Better to Give program, they have connected customers with global nonprofit organizations. With every purchase, they donate $1 to a Better to Give partner of your choice ($2 for Perks members). Since launching Better to Give in 2001, they have donated more than three million dollars to causes they care about, including American Forests and the International Rescue Committee.

As a responsible employer, Uncommon Goods offers starting pay for hourly team members that is more than double the federal minimum wage. Moreover, they offer fair paid family leave to new parents and to those on their team caring for sick loved ones. In fact, they feel strongly enough about this that they have successfully advocated for paid family leave and a higher minimum wage in New York State and continue to support these efforts in other states.

But remember, they sell great products! From the founders' craft show finds, they have grown their offerings to thousands of designs handpicked by their buying team. The team considers not only the product but also the story behind it. They think about how it's made, who's making it, and the process that leads to the finished design.

All of the products they carry are creative. Each product is purposeful, solution-oriented, stunning, expertly handmade, upcycled, and unprecedented. And thanks to their in-house product development team, they create their own goods, too. They are proud to offer independent designers a place to showcase their work. Do you have something that fits this? You can submit your product here!

A review on Trustpilot.com may have said it best. "I have been shopping on Uncommon Goods for quite some time… Everything I have ordered from this site has been of beautiful quality, and I enjoy giving many of them as gifts. What a pleasure that their wonderful customer service matches the beautiful quality of their products."

As we stimulate the economy during this season, it is nice to know that we can do so with a company like Uncommon Goods. Broadway Stages loves that it is not alone in Brooklyn as an environmentally and community-minded business. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for inspiring stories and enticing product profiles, make a list, then do your holiday shopping!