(KCPW News) Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit, fair-trade retailer, says moving from Sugar House to downtown has led to a decrease in business, putting the store in danger of having to close down. Ten Thousand Villages Executive Director Neelam Chand attributes the problem to limited parking, as well as stiff competition from City Creek. She says the store is finding it hard to survive.
“People go to City Creek, they shop, and then they leave. They don’t necessarily venture outside of City Creek. And I think the issue is that City Creek maybe hasn’t incorporated throughout Main Street and I think that is something they are working on and we would hope that eventually we could partner up with City Creek and do something where we can get more people out to Main Street and shopping,” she says.
Ten Thousand Villages sells artisan-crafted home décor and personal accessories from around the world. Saturday, it’s holding a fundraiser to help the business stay open and increase marketing in the downtown area. Chand say the store needs $10,000 to make it through the holiday season.
“It’s going to be an ongoing campaign. We do realize that one fundraising event doesn’t always bring in what we are asking for. But it’s definitely the first step to create awareness. And we mostly just want people to come into the store and hear our story and know what we’re about and help support us during the holidays,” she says.
The fundraiser will be held tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 120 South Main Street. Chand says it will feature live entertainment and a preview of the store’s holiday collection.
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