Buzz builds on terra20
28, Aug. 2012
The news has now broken that Ottawa will soon be home to Canada’s largest eco-department store, and it has got a lot of people talking. terra20 will open its doors on September 15th to begin selling more than 12,000 green products at their 15,000 square foot location in the Pinecrest Shopping Centre. Jump is extremely excited to have worked with terra20 in the creation of their one stop eco-store, and we’re eagerly anticipating the store’s completion.
The terra20 concept looks to target anyone looking to continue or to make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The products offered cover a full range of lifestyle categories including clothing, cosmetics, office supplies, lighting and toys. Until now, consumers in Canada looking for ‘green’ or environmentally sensitive products have needed to go to numerous specialty stores, depending on their needs and budgetary constraints. terra20’s goal is not to charge a premium on its products but instead to give customers an easy and cost-effective way to switch to more eco-friendly practices.
Innovative features of the the store itself include a refill station called the ‘Ecobar’, where customers can purchase eco-friendly cleaning products, then return the empty containers for a refund or refill. Incorporating sustainability in the design is further seen with the wide array of recycled and sustainable building products utilized in the store’s construction along with low-VOC paints and energy efficient lighting. Similarly integral in the store’s vision is the participation of suppliers within the customer experience. As part of its vendor agreements, terra20 requires each of their suppliers to appear in store either in person or virtually at least once a year in order to talk about their goods and explain why their items are better than other mass-produced but less ecologically sensitive alternatives. This sense of transparency is also seen in the use of iPads throughout the store to provide customers instant insight into the sustainable initiatives of each product and their parent company.
The inspiration for terra20’s name derives from the ideology that in this new millennium, as the world’s population soars, it’s up to us to explore a more Earth-friendly lifestyle, and that in the year 20-something we will collaboratively reach sustainability. Whether this is achieved or not is anyone’s guess, but terra20, and their plans to eventually expand across Canada, are gearing us in the right direction.
For more information on the upcoming store opening and on the terra20 concept, sustain your ‘green’ insight with these great articles from from www.canada.com , The Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa’s premiere cultural blog Apartment 613. Also be sure to Jump back to our website in the near future for more details on terra20 and Jump’s involvement in the latest benchmark in Canadian sustainable retail.