A mission #madeingreece

After one wonderfully busy year, we find ourselves in our 2nd February of business, recharged and energized for an exciting year of expansion and new opportunities, while still keeping our mission, vision and values squarely in our hearts and minds.   We will be introducing new artists from Greece to our catalog that will represent unique, handmade items.  We continue to be committed only to working with Greek artists of Greece, and Greek owned businesses in Greece,  with just a couple of our products from Greek owned businesses in the USA, such as the popular Yiayia's Koutales.  This past year, we also helped a Greek dance troupe from Florida and a Greek music ensemble in Boston with their charitable efforts by selling their products.   We have found that we have a vehicle that can drive support for Hellenic culture in the USA, and we are beyond thrilled to continue this journey!  We have also seen a change in our industry in general...have you noticed more online businesses talking about Greek artists, or using the #madeingreece?Maybe they were buying products from Greece all along, but never emphasized it before.  We feel a movement has been growing where authenticating product has become very important to the consumer.   We've seen the hashtags #supportgreece and #supportgreekdesigners used to advertise products that are Greek themed, but did not come from Greece.  We even received a customer letter about another Greek shop that mislead them into thinking something was from Greece but really came from another country...and that shop actually argued with the customer rather than take responsibility.   I guess in this last year, we've seen it all....we hope! LOL    There are wonderful looking Greek themed products coming from many other countries, that is not the issue...the issue is misrepresentation, and misleading customers.    We recognize that even our Greek artists and businesses are forced at times to buy components of their products from other countries, or what they are buying from their local Greek craft shop is carrying components from other countries.  However, we support the Greek artists and businesses in their time, their ingenuity, their designs, and their products for sale that are coming from their hands, their shops, in support of their work.   It would be easy and less expensive to buy from some other countries to acquire Greek themed products, but that is not who we are.    Sticking to our mission, vision and values  is more important to us.   With that said, what you'll see from us this year will continue to emphasize our work with Greek owned businesses, a celebration of our heritage that we will take on the road this festival season, to new locations, new cities, and growth of our work with Churches and wholesale customers to keep the momentum growing for our mission to honor #madeingreece