One year -who we are...and who we are not....

 ON THIS DAY ONE YEAR AGO, WE LAUNCHED OUR IDENTITY, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, AND OUR JOURNEY WITH TASTE AND ART OF GREECE BEGAN.   WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY OUR FIRST YEAR WAS MET WITH TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN BOTH SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE TRAFFIC TO OUR WEBSITE.  IT EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND ALSO PROVIDED VALUABLE LESSONS TO HELP US CONTINUE ON OUR PATH INTO OUR SECOND AND FUTURE YEARS.  WE STARTED THIS COMPANY WITH A SIMPLE MISSION - TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTISTS AND SUPPLIERS OF GREECE BY SELLING THEIR PRODUCTS IN AMERICA, AND TO HIGHLIGHT WHO WAS PROVIDING THE PRODUCTS.  WE'VE SPENT ALOT OF TIME THIS YEAR TELLING YOU WHO WE ARE.  GOING INTO YEAR TWO, WE WANT TO TELL YOU WHO WE ARE NOT.     

1)  WE ARE NOT IMITATORS.  WE ARE NOT IN THIS TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK BY COPYING WHAT WE THINK SOMEONE ELSE IS SUCCESSFUL AT.  there is a difference between inspiration and imitation.  there will always be natural overlap in ideas when selling similar products.  However, customers are savvy enough to know when something is being imitated rather than created.  We take pride and time into creating our posts, talking with artists to truly understand and share their passion for their products, and trying to promote in a unique way.   WHERE THERE IS WIDE INTEREST IN GREEK PRODUCTS, these types of BUSINESSES tend to SHARE MANY OF THE SAME SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS. WHEN A BUSINESS POST ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM IS COPIED IN VOICE OR MANNER, CUSTOMERS NOTICE.  SO IN ADDITION TO BEING A POOR BUSINESS STANDARD, IT BACKFIRES TO TRY TO BE SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT.  We came up with our concept one year ago and have steadily built upon this, never changing course.   I THINK ITS CLEAR WE HAVE CARVED OUT OUR OWN UNIQUE IDENTITY AND KEPT TRUE TO IT FROM DAY 1.   

2) WE ARE NOT COMPETITION DRIVEN.  EVEN THOUGH WE SHARE SOME ARTISTS OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THERE IS ENOUGH SPACE FOR ALL greek web and retail shops TO CO EXIST AND GROW.    THERE IS ALWAYS HEALTHY COMPETITION IN A RETAIL SPACE SUCH AS OURS, BUT WE CHOOSE TO TREAT OTHER BUSINESSES WITH MUTUAL RESPECT. DURING OUR TIME ATTENDING GREEK FESTIVALS, WE MET SOME GREAT BUSINESSES, MADE NEW FRIENDS AND EVEN ALLIANCES to support each others work.  OUR PERSPECTIVE IS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY RATHER THAN CONFRONTATIONALLY.   

3) WE ARE NOT AGAINST PRODUCTS THAT COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.  JUST BECAUSE WE SAY our goal is to  SUPPORT GREEK MADE PRODUCTS, WE ARE NOT OPPONENTS OF GREEK THEMED PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT COME FROM OR ARE NOT MADE IN GREECE.  WE CHOOSE TO WORK ONLY WITH GREEK ARTISTS AND SUPPLIERS, BUT THERE ARE MANY GREEK THEMED AND INSPIRED PRODUCTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE FANTASTIC TOO!   if we cannot provide something for our customer because its not from Greece, we will always recommend another business to them that we feel has the same high standards of integrity and customer service as we do.  

4) WE DO NOT ORDER FROM DESIGNERS, CATALOGUES OR WEBSITES THAT ARE BASED IN COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF GREECE.    SURE, WE COULD PROBABLY SAVE MONEY BUYING GREEK THEMED PRODUCTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, BUT ITS NOT WHO WE ARE.    WE NEVER TELL A CUSTOMER SOMETHING IS FROM GREECE WHEN ITS REALLY FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY.  TO CLARIFY, EVEN OUR GREEK SUPPLIERS HAVE SOME MATERIALS THAT COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO USE IN THEIR PRODUCTS IF THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE LOCALLY, BUT WE DEAL ONLY WITH GREEK ARTISTS AND SUPPLIERS,  THE FINAL PRODUCTS ARE COMING FROM THEIR HANDS AND SUPPORTING THEIR BUSINESSES IN GREECE.   we value our relationships with artists and suppliers, and keep in regular contact, have developed some personal friendships  and consider them part of our extended family.   As this goes to post, we are preparing to meet with several artists in athens in the coming week!  

5) WE DO NOT SELL IMITATION BRANDED/DESIGNER PRODUCTS or other products.  WE STAY TO A GREEK THEME IN ALL OUR PRODUCTS, IN ALL WE DO, AND THEY ALL TIE INTO GREECE IN SOME WAY.  WHEN WE MAKE OUR OWN BRANDED PRODUCTS, LIKE OUR POPULAR TSHIRT LINE, WE TELL CUSTOMERS THEY ARE MADE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, EVEN THOUGH ITS PROBABLY OBVIOUS THEY ARE NOT  FROM GREECE! :)     MANY GREEK WEBSHOPS CREATE THEIR OWN BEAUTIFUlLy INSPIRED GREEK THEMED PRODUCTS, TYING INTO THEIR OWN MISSION AND IDENTITY, as we do, AND DO IT WITH INTEGRITY.    

IN SUMMARY, WE RESPECT ALL BUSINESSES, whether they are SELLING PRODUCTS FROM GREECE, AND/OR  PRODUCTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES , THAT WORK WITH INTEGRITY AND HONESTY WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS, AND SHOW MUTUAL RESPECT FOR SIMILAR BUSINESSES.   in turn, we will continue our work with artists and suppliers of greece who uphold the highest standards of quality, integrity, and who partner with us to bring their unique, fun, and beautiful designs, all made with meraki and love, to our customers,  More news to come....soon!!    xoxo