In a bold and unexpected move that underscores its role as a leader in social innovation, Toms launched the Toms Marketplace, a new online retail destination hosted on Toms.com that features a curated collection of 200 socially conscious products from 30 different companies.
Each of the Toms Marketplace partner brands has a meaningful story and shares Toms' deep commitment to giving to those in need, spanning a wide range of causes and geographic areas of impact.
"The Toms Marketplace represents something that is bigger than us," said Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of Toms. "We believe social entrepreneurship is a movement that is here to stay, and the Toms Marketplace is our way of bringing awareness to so many amazing companies, causes and products.”
“For the past few years, I have been humbled by the number of social entrepreneurs who have been inspired by the Toms business model. In fact, it wasn't too long ago that I found myself in a similar position. So I thought, 'What can we do to help support these companies?' The Toms Marketplace is the result."
By bringing together such a diverse collection of social entrepreneurs at various stages of their business, the Toms Marketplace presents a wide assortment of products across an array of lifestyle categories, from accessories, apparel and bags to home goods, jewelry, sports equipment, tech and more.
For the most part, the Toms Marketplace highlights early-stage companies and their causes, each of whom were thoroughly vetted by Toms' Giving department to make sure their ability to deliver on their mission statements is of the highest standard.
"The social entrepreneurship movement is made up of a lot of like-minded individuals, and in many ways it's a fraternity of people who want to do business differently," added Mycoskie. "I've been a part of this network for years and have recognized many organizations that have very interesting ideas and businesses that can scale. Many of these have found a place in the Toms Marketplace."
Toms' innovation does not stop at the Toms Marketplace. The company recently announced that through its Giving Partners it has hand-placed over 10 million pairs of new shoes on children in need and has helped give sight to more than 175,000 people around the world.
The success of Toms' One for One business model has led to a continued evolution of its Giving efforts, with the company having made major investments in its shoe manufacturing, economic empowerment, commissioned field research, and product partnerships that have raised millions of dollars for non-profit organizations. The Toms Marketplace is the latest such investment from Toms.
"We're so excited to utilize, share and leverage Toms' platforms, our resources and our marketing to assist our Toms Marketplace partners to help give to those in need," added Mycoskie. "We believe our customers – and even those who aren't necessarily customers – trust the Toms brand and what we stand for. They are coming to our website because they want to buy or give a gift that gives back, and with the Toms Marketplace, they will have a much greater selection of choices, all in one place."
