UncommonGoods

UncommonGoods, LLC
Private company
Industry E-commerce
Founded New York City, US (1999)
Founders David Bolotsky, Thomas Epting
Headquarters Brooklyn, NY, US
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 David Bolotsky, Thomas Epting, Casey McCarthy, Carolyn Topp
Products Handmade, small production gifts, home accents, jewelry, accessories, tabletop, art, games, books, food and drink, DIY kits
Website www.uncommongoods.com

UncommonGoods, LLC is a Brooklyn-based, privately held,[1] American online and catalog retailer, founded in 1999. The UncommonGoods website launched in July, 2000.[2] Its inventory consists of small production gifts, home accents, jewelry, accessories, tabletop, art, games, books, food and drink and DIY kits, 40% of which are handmade by independent artists and artisans, frequently of recycled, reclaimed, or upcycled materials.[3][4]

The company is online-only and has no brick-and-mortar retail outlets.

History

UncommonGoods was founded in 1999 by current CEO David Bolotsky, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs who headed its U.S. Retail Research Division from 1995 to 1999.[5]

B Corp certification and benefit corporation

In 2007, UncommonGoods became a founding B Corp,[6] having met B Lab's standards of standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Bolotsky advocated[7] for the bill that made this corporate status legal in the state.[8][9][10] which was signed into law in 2012. The company gives 15% of its net proceeds to nonprofits, as certified by B Lab,[11][12] and pays entry-level workers significantly more than the legal minimum wage.[13] Bolotsky has also advocated for raising the minimum wage in New York State.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Information for UncommonGoods, LLC.". Open NYC Transparency Project. n.d. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ McKenna Findlay, Andrea (March 28, 2001). "Ex-Wall Street analyst meets artists, together they craft an uncommon e-retailing site". Internet Retailer. Retrieved March 5, 2015. ...the company launched its site in July 2000.
  3. ↑ "B Impact Report for UncommonGoods". B Lab. Retrieved March 5, 2015. 40% of products come from independent designers and artists
  4. ↑ "At UncommonGoods, A Theme for Good Business: People Come First". Fast Company. n.d. Retrieved April 15, 2015. Half of the product we sell is handmade, and about half is made in the U.S.
  5. ↑ McKenna Findlay, Andrea (March 28, 2001). "Ex-Wall Street analyst meets artists, together they craft an uncommon e-retailing site". Internet Retailer. Retrieved March 5, 2015. Bolotsky was a managing director at Goldman Sachs and headed the U.S. Retail Research Division from 1995 to 1999. He spearheaded the firm’s Internet retailing research.
  6. ↑ "Founding B Corps". B Lab. 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ "First New York Benefit Corps Created". The Lo-Down. February 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2015. Bolotsky worked with B Lab to advocate for the New York state legislation enabling corporations to receive recognition for their public benefit mission
  8. ↑ "Squadron-Silver Bill to Bring Benefit Corporations to New York Becomes Law" (Press release). New York State Senator Daniel Squadron. December 13, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2015. 'I am thrilled to see benefit corporation legislation signed into law. It gives companies like ours a legal framework that reflects our commitment to both our shareholders and to our goal of creating sustainable jobs, supporting our local community and minimizing our impact on the environment,' said David Bolotsky, Founder and CEO of UncommonGoods, an online retailer based in New York.
  9. ↑ Field, Ann (March 11, 2012). "A corporate status for the crunchy set". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved April 15, 2015. The bill, which went into law in December, creates a new corporate form called the benefit corporation.
  10. ↑ Rosenberg, Tina (April 11, 2011). "A Scorecard for Companies With a Conscience". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2015. Uncommon Goods scores well on how it treats the environment, its open-book management style, benefits for employees and charitable giving, and not so well on diversity and local purchasing.
  11. ↑ "B Impact Report for UncommonGoods". B Lab. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  12. ↑ Stanger, Melissa (August 12, 2014). "The 20 Most Inspiring Companies Of 2014". Business Insider. Retrieved April 2, 2015. UncommonGoods also donates 15% of its net proceeds to nonprofits, letting customers pick the nonprofits when they shop.
  13. ↑ Goldmark, Alex (December 13, 2011). "NY Gets Friendlier to Socially Responsible Business". New York: WNYC-TV. Retrieved April 15, 2015. ...an online shop that has sustainable business practices like paying a living wage to workers, giving to charity and using recycled office supplies, like UnCommonGoods...
  14. ↑ Berger, Joseph (February 19, 2012). "Fearing a Minimum Wage Increase Will Be Bad for Business". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2015. ...a champion of raising the minimum wage, David Bolotsky, the chief executive of Uncommon Goods, a Brooklyn-based firm that sells designer gift items and pays its entry-level workers $10 an hour, said, 'I could not look at myself in the mirror and pay somebody $7.25 an hour—you can’t live on it.'
  15. ↑ de_Blasio, Bill. "Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Association for a Better New York" (Press release). NYC Office of the Mayor. Retrieved March 5, 2015. 'David Bolotsky, CEO of UncommonGoods, an innovative retailer based in Brooklyn...a strong advocate for raising workers’ wages'
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