‘I’m proud of what we did.’ Nonprofit fair-trade retailer in State College set to close
A nonprofit fair-trade retailer in State College plans to close its brick-and-mortar store this summer after nearly six years in business.
Ten Thousand Villages, 1341 S. Atherton St., plans to close in mid-July, board treasurer Joel Weidner told the Centre Daily Times. The store opened in September 2018, but sold goods at different community events for two years prior.
“Even with generous financial and volunteer support, sales at the store have not been sufficient to cover expenses and sustain operations,” Weidner wrote in a letter sent to donors earlier this month. “... We are grateful for all who have shared and supported our mission, and we hope you will continue to support the store during this final phase.”
The Mennonite Church-run chain sells handmade goods created by artisans in about 30 developing countries, most of which are in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
From jewelry and linens to woven baskets and soaps, the store carries a diverse inventory of handicrafts. Since the nonprofit was formed in 2016, the business purchased more than $1.9 million in goods.
“It’s going to be a loss,” Weidner said. “There’s not that many stores like this anymore. A lot of things we sell are gift type items and there’s not many places you can go in State College other than the big-box stores. There used to be several smaller gift shops downtown, but those have all gone away as well over the years.”
Weidner wondered aloud if the ongoing construction on Atherton Street hurt the business, but also acknowledged the coronavirus pandemic did not help. The business also shared the plaza with a women’s clothing, shoe and accessory shop for a few years, which Weidner said catered to the same base of customers.
The nonprofit’s board voted in April to close the store.
“We just haven’t been able to generate enough revenue to keep things going,” Weidner said. “We’ve been struggling for several years and it finally just got to the point where we’re thinking ‘I don’t think we can make this work.’ ”
Weidner and Jenn Miller, the store’s de facto manager and education and outreach director, said they’re hopeful the nonprofit will remain active after the store closes. That would allow them to continue selling goods at different community events in Centre County.
Whether that happens relies, in part, on the outcome of the store’s closing sale. Starting on Friday, the store will offer 30% discounts that will gradually increase.
All artisans were already paid in full and the discounts will only affect how much the nonprofit brings in, Miller said.
“Our goal is to sell off as much of the inventory as we can to generate cash,” Weidner said. “We’re going to be selling our fixtures, shelving and everything that’s in the store.”
About 25 people volunteer at the store. Several were tearful when they were told of the decision to close, Weidner said, adding that many feel a sense of ownership of the store.
The nonprofit currently has no plans to reopen a store elsewhere in Centre County. Its booth at Belle Mercantile in Bellefonte will be the only remaining brick-and-mortar location where its goods are sold.
Through public programs and supporting other nonprofits, Miller said she hopes the store is remembered as one that connected Happy Valley with the rest of the world, especially areas where public education and food is sparse.
“When our board was really struggling with deciding if we were going to close, I presented the numbers and said ‘Look at all we’ve done in the time we’ve been open.’ We made an impact,” Weidner said. “I don’t want to look at this as ‘Oh, that’s a failure.’ We operated for those years. We made an impact both in the local community and around the world. I’m proud of that. I’m proud of what we did.”
This story was originally published May 23, 2024 at 5:30 AM.