Social Impact & Sustainable Shopping
Great experiences and doing good aren’t a trade-off. These verified shops, markets and social enterprises put your spending toward fair wages, local makers and community projects.
Roosevelt Row
Why it matters: founded in 2007 by former teacher Stephanie Vasquez, this is the longest-standing Latina-owned cafe in Phoenix – and every cup is fair-trade sourced. It is also simply the Roosevelt Row hangout: local art on the walls, in-house baking, and downtown’s best people-watching patio. Order the horchata latte and settle in.
Greenwich Village
Dan Barber’s farm-to-table flagship sourcing from Blue Hill Farm & Stone Barns.
★ 4.6
$$$
Plaka
A gem of a shop in Plaka championing contemporary Greek design – witty, beautifully made objects, homeware and gifts from independent local designers and makers. A far better souvenir than the tourist tat nearby.
★ 4.6
$
A Morningside shop selling ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles handmade by makers with learning disabilities, with profits supporting their work.
Multiple
Thrift stores funding job training for people with barriers to work.
★ 4.5
$
Innere Stadt
A warm Middle Eastern restaurant run as an integration project – two-thirds of the team come from refugee or migrant backgrounds, employed with fair pay and real training. Great mezze and a genuinely good story.
★ 4.6
$$
Clapham
A zero-waste refill store for pantry staples, cleaning and low-impact home goods.
★ 4.5
$$
SoHo / NoHo
Volunteer-run bookstore-café where 100% of profits fight HIV/AIDS and homelessness.
★ 4.7
$
Centre
A community and coworking hub for people building social and environmental ventures, hosting events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Athens’ fast-growing social-enterprise scene.
★ 4.5
$
Various
A community and coworking hub for people building social and environmental projects, hosting events, mentoring and a network of changemakers. A window into Barcelona’s thriving social-enterprise scene.
★ 4.5
$
District V
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, hosting events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Budapest’s growing social-enterprise scene.
★ 4.5
$
Sisli
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, with events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Istanbul’s growing social-enterprise and startup scene.
★ 4.5
$
Centro
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, with events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Madrid’s lively social-enterprise scene.
★ 4.5
$
Various
A social enterprise restaurant fighting food waste – “food-rescue” drivers collect surplus produce, day-old bread and imperfect veg each morning, and the chefs improvise a different menu daily. Delicious proof that waste can be dinner.
★ 4.5
$$
An award-winning art and craft shop selling authentically Croatian handmade souvenirs, from traditional embroidery to jewellery, helping keep local heritage crafts alive.
Kadikoy
A worker-run cooperative cafe in creative Yeldegirmeni on the Asian side, owned and run collectively with no bosses, doubling as a community space for events, film nights and solidarity projects. Come for coffee and a glimpse of grassroots Istanbul.
★ 4.5
$
Kreuzberg
An award-winning restaurant serving beautiful Syrian and Levantine food, run by refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan through the Be an Angel integration project. Delicious mezze and grills, and a chance to give back the hospitality they received.
★ 4.7
$$
East Village
A family-owned vintage chain giving thousands of garments a second life.
★ 4.5
$