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Over the years, FEED bags have become ubiquitous symbols of charitable giving. And now, they have a stylish new home in DUMBO, Brooklyn, nestled in a retail store that brings life to their message.
Created by Lauren Bush Lauren in 2007 to help the 800 million people around the world who are food insecure, each bag brings a certain number of meals to schoolchildren. In the last decade, Bush Lauren has managed to deliver more than 95 million meals to hungry mouths through on-the-ground partners.
Her new retail location serves as an extension of her brand's mission, with at least one meal donated with each item purchased.
We peeked inside the shop before it's grand opening on May 3 and were struck by its diverse, thoughtfully curated offerings. Reusable Soma water bottles appear alongside small-batch candles, self-watering basil, and decks of tarot cards. You can tell that each brand is hand-chosen for its ethical, responsible production practices, and together they form the perfect collection for the modern-day conscious guy or gal.
"Our 'FEED Finds' are a curated selection of items from other socially conscious brands. We selected products that do good in some way, from artisan-made alpaca teddy bears to one-of-a-kind ceramics made locally," Bush Lauren tells mbg. "We want to provide customers varied opportunities to make an impact with their purchases, so we’re excited to offer a special assortment in the store."
FEED bags of every shape, size, and color adorn the industrial brick walls and a bar serving up local café treats stands tall in the center of the space. Visuals inform shoppers of the charitable payoff of their purchases, and a ticker at checkout displays the number of meals donated from items purchased at the shop in real time.
Bush Lauren hopes that her dynamic shop will provide a tangible way for customers to join in the fight against global childhood hunger. "We really wanted to provide customers with a permanent in-store experience as a way for them to see first hand the impact of their purchases, something that isn’t always translated online," she says.
While it has become more common for chefs, designers and even authors to curate their own brick-and-mortar outposts, this is a relatively new concept for the charitable industry. And we couldn't be more excited to watch it pan out in our own backyard. Here's hoping that ticker continues to climb to new heights.