Who are we?
Fairtrade Lifestyle is a family-run retail business owned and managed by Peter Knight and Shirley Wilson, who manufacture and import a range of lighting, furniture and ethnic craft products from a variety of countries. Our unique offerings are all hand-produced by indigenous crafts people.
The business was founded by Peter when he returned to live in England after living and working for more than 20 years in various countries across the Middle East and Asia and seeing firsthand the effect that some non fair trade business had on local communities and the environment. Peter and Shirley both travel extensively each year supporting the crafts people and communities they work with and developing new products to support the business involved.
Fairtrade Lifestyle has dedicated its business to creating a positive change for the poorest of the poor. This means that fair trade is at the core of every business decision we make.
Committed to Fair Trade
Our suppliers are highly skilled, and many of the families and crafts people we work with pass on their traditional expertise from generation to generation. Our policy is to bypass the middleman and pay the communities and families producing the products direct. This ensures crafts people receive a fair price, and the money we pay is channelled directly into local economies.
Quality not quantity
We steer clear of mass-produced ‘arts and crafts’. Our offerings are all individually hand-crafted to exceptionally high standards – this is reflected in the respectable prices we pay to suppliers. In addition we personally inspect all our producers and insist all items are produced with materials from renewable sources, using production methods that minimise the impact on the local environment.
Sourcing new products
We often travel overseas to visit the families and communities we buy from, which helps us to maintain strong working relationships with them and understand the support they might need in developing their business. During these excursions, we are constantly searching for unusual arts and crafts and developing new ranges, so we can regularly provide you with exciting new products.
Committed to customer satisfaction
We want you to be 100 percent satisfied with your purchases, and to shop with us time after time. It’s also important to us that your shopping experience is as simple and enjoyable as possible. That’s why we are committed to providing you with a friendly, professional and reliable service.
The online range will be updated as soon as we source new products – so add this site to your ‘favourites’ and remember to re-visit regularly.