LOVE TO SHOP? Shop fair trade! Owners of Fair and Square Imports, Andrew and Kate, are passionate about ethically made goods and I love their store! Fair and Square Imports has a variety of products from all over the world. It is all fair trade and reasonably priced!

Andrew and Kate moved to McKinney, Texas from Indiana. Andrew had worked at an international nonprofit and Kate worked in marketing with nonprofit clients. After moving to McKinney, these entrepreneurs decided to follow their passion and start a fair trade store. Fair and Square Imports was born.

Fair and Square Imports has many categories of goods including chocolate, coffee, jewelry, greeting cards, home goods, children’s toys, and more. You can spend a whole day browsing around this fun shop. Products range in price; I purchased an item as low as $1! Andrew and Kate try to have a variety of affordable products so everybody can participate in the fair trade movement.

There is an educational aspect to the store as well. In the back, they display a map showing where all their products come from. They also have a wall with Fair Trade Federation Principals listed, giving customers a chance to learn how fair trade status is achieved. Most items have tags with stories explaining where the product is from or who made it. I love the idea of connecting consumers to the person behind the product.

Fair and Square Imports engages the community with various events. “Divine & Wine” is a tasting of Divine fair trade chocolates paired with samples of wine from The McKinney Wine Merchant. The next “Divine & Wine” will take place at Fair and Square Imports on June 11, 2016 from 5-9pm. Another upcoming event is “Where in the World” scavenger hunt to celebrate the launch of the new “Country Club” punch card. Head out to Fair and Square Imports for the scavenger hunt from June 10th-12th during regular store hours. The month will ‘wrap up’ with the “Sarong Wrap Party”. Demonstrations on how to tie batik sarongs will take place in store June 25th from 1-4pm. Participants who buy a sarong that day will receive a free coconut sarong buckle.

Andrew is also a cofounder of Threadies Teddy Bears. U.S. consumers purchase the teddy bear and a “twin bear” is sent to a refugee child. In the U.S., the teddy bear comes with a poem which teaches children the importance of sharing love and helps them understand that their Thready connects them with another child across the world. The donated teddy bear includes a “coping kit” for the refugee child. The information in the “coping kit” is based on research done at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. The kit teaches children exercises for dealing with trauma and helps them cope with their emotions. These teddy bears are made by refugee women. For more information on this program you can visit their website or visit Andrew at Fair and Square Imports. Andrew travelled abroad to personally hand out teddy bears to the refugee children. He has some eye opening stories to share. Threadies are sold at Fair and Square Imports in McKinney.

I sincerely enjoyed my time at Fair and Square Imports. Andrew and Kate are two of the most genuine and passionate people I have met. They are working hard to make a difference while chasing their dreams. There is something for everybody at Fair and Square Imports. I encourage you to visit their store! If you are not local to the DFW area, some of their items are available online.
[null, {"document_url": "https://www.thehonestconsumer.com/blog/2016/05/27/fair-and-square-imports", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57fa9cafe4fcb5e6ab28144a/t/5b5c0ec6352f53124f4632ea/1532759761574/IMG_0080+3.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57fa9cafe4fcb5e6ab28144a/t/5b5c0ec6352f53124f4632ea/1532759761574/IMG_0080+3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "alt_text": "IMG_0080 3.jpg"}, null, {"document_url": "https://www.thehonestconsumer.com/blog/2016/05/27/fair-and-square-imports", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57fa9cafe4fcb5e6ab28144a/t/57faa38ae39aa491ceec031b/1477774808427/img_5459.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57fa9cafe4fcb5e6ab28144a/t/57faa38ae39aa491ceec031b/1477774808427/img_5459.jpg", "formatted_filename": "img", "alt_text": "IMG_5459.JPG"}, null]