Priscilla, Queen of the Eco Store
9 June 2010 - this article originally appeared in Finch’s Quarterly Review Issue 8
Priscilla Woolworth Composter
As a descendant of the family that founded the famous Woolworths stores, and now creator of an eponymous eco-friendly online shop, Priscilla Woolworth thinks she must have retail in her blood.
I wasn’t aware of the environmental movement when I was growing up. We’re talking about the Eighties, when it wasn’t so prevalent in America. It just wasn’t something you heard about a lot and there was no discussion about it. So it was an awareness I discovered on my own and then validated by reading more about it and listening to other people’s findings and the studies about pesticides and toxins in our environment and so on. It was then that I saw the importance of wanting to share what I’d found out with others, and my eco store has been my way of doing this.
It is a coincidence that, four generations ago, my ancestors started up Woolworths. It was back in 1879 that Frank Woolworth opened a store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and from there the empire grew. Then my great-grandfather, Fred Woolworth, ventured to England at the turn of the century to open Woolworths stores there. By the time I came along, the company was well established, but I grew up in the South of France unaware of the existence of Woolworths. It was not discussed at all in my family and I grew up very sheltered, living in France and spending summers in my family’s house in Maine. It wasn’t until I went to boarding school in England that I went into my first Woolworths.
I didn’t grow up in that retail environment and it is almost accidental, or an amazing coincidence, that I have found myself doing this eco store. But I have been inspired by what my ancestors created, and maybe it’s in my genes. I have always loved general stores, places where you could go to find a range of useful products. It’s really extraordinary that I find myself building something from scratch, when my ancestors came up with Woolworths. Since starting my online store I’ve been reading more about what it was like for them to start Woolworths. It was one of the very first stores that didn’t have salespeople. Customers could pick out what they wanted on their own. Also, Woolworths made a wide variety of products available to the masses. In a way, my online store is similar, and I want my products to be available and affordable to a wide range of people, not just exclusive to a few.
My American grandfather, who worked for the family business, passed away right after I was born, but I have heard many stories about him. He had a tremendous love of nature and of people. He was a very generous man, with tremendous empathy and kindness, and I respect that enormously. He came from great privilege but he never forgot to look after people. As a child, going to the local post office in Maine, the old postman would ask me if I was related. I would say, “Yes,” and he would tell me stories of how my grandfather had paid for the villagers’ groceries during the war. He never wanted people to know who had paid for them and it is this looking out for each other that is so wonderful.
This is what my work is all about too. I can use the products I sell as a way to educate people and help them to make informed decisions about the products they use. I explain about the products on my online store; why I like and use them, and the impact they have on one’s life and beyond of using them. I am focusing on building a community, and I write a newsletter each month. My vision is to build conversation and trust with people so that they will become more aware of the products and of the environment.
One of my bestselling products is the Valentina composter. I designed the composter and reduced its size and have had wonderful feedback. I am a huge composting enthusiast. It really is satisfying to make your own compost using your kitchen and yard waste. It’s the ultimate in recycling. I have such a variety of products and everything I sell is organic, biodegradable, non-toxic, sustainable or all of the above. Sourcing products is very important to me. I support co-operatives around the world, for example, and help them learn about being self-sufficient and sustainable. I also look to support small businesses that are making one or two products that are really beneficial to the environment. I want to help them grow. I also want to support businesses that come up with innovative design, for example recycled material that is used to make another product so that we create less waste.
My wish for the future would be for the online store to grow and become a destination that everyone visits, not only for products but also for trusted information. I love nothing more than sharing positive, helpful information – and now I can share it with a much larger community. I love helping people to improve their lives and giving them the tools to do this, and I believe priscillawoolworth.com shows some of the ways we can make effortless changes to be environmentally responsible in our homes and beyond. I am my own best customer and an example of what I hope to achieve with my store, because I am learning along with everyone else. I use my products and won’t sell anything that I won’t use myself. We all have the power to influence change in the world just through what we buy, which in itself is empowering and very exciting.
Tags: Woolworths
