Lap Chu
Richard Ericsson
Jenna Costa
St. John's University
Charles Wankel
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Cottage Closet has a vision to make women look beautiful by being simple. The business model is founded on simplicity. Simplicity relates back to not being wasteful and using resources such as energy and materials in a responsible way. Cottage Closet promotes the UN Sustainable Development Goals with respect to affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation, climate action, and responsible consumption and production.
The foundation of Cottage Closet is based on simplicity and style. While preserving its foundation, Ms. Pizza realized that profitability and global sustainability can coexist without conflict. She promotes and supports Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, by only sourcing clothing from morally responsible garment companies. Most of the clothing and accessories are made locally, which reduces the energy cost associated with shipping material from far distances. Cottage Closet is very conscious of the material that is used for their clothing. They are in favor of suppliers that use organic cotton and recycled polyester as their base material.
Cottage Closet promotes healthy communities by continuously participating in local events. Cottage Closet donates every year to local charities such as the American Cancer Society. Ms. Pizza also hosts fundraiser fashion shows for local schools. Her dedication and volunteering is admirable and is commended by her community.
Different leaders are inspired in different ways. During the interview, Ms. Pizza stated that she always had an interest in fashion since she was a little girl and wanted to do something in fashion. After Ms. Pizza earned her college degree, she worked for several large fashion design companies where she acquired an abundance of experience and knowledge. She sources her clothing and accessories from over 100 vendors, mostly based in New York and Los Angeles. Cottage Closet is very selective and demanding when it comes to their vendors. They will only approve vendors that participate in and promote gender equality. Also, the use of energy-efficient equipment is a high priority for Cottage Closet. All their lighting, heating, and cooling equipment is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program.
In the short run, there seems to have been no visible increase in profits. The cost of innovations such as reducing energy, empowering gender equality, and being socially responsible through charity do not have a significant impact on the company's income statement.
However, in adopting many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Cottage Closet has gained a very positive local image. They have earned the trust and respect of the local community due to their compelling duty to social responsibility. Word of mouth and other positive referrals have translated into customer loyalty, retention, and customer satisfaction, which ultimately converts into long-term profitability.
Cottage Closet has developed a business model that creates a strong impact in the local community. They have generated a great deal of positive marketing exposure through constant volunteering efforts, fundraisers, and their devotion to sustainable clothing. Most of their shoppers are local Staten Islanders who are familiar with Cottage Closet through one of their hosted events. Cottage Closet’s customers recognize their unwavering goal to make clothing more sustainable. As a result of their social responsibility, their customers remain extremely loyal to them. And because of this loyalty, they have seen steady revenue growth from year to year.
This innovation benefits society and the environment because the company is gender neutral and energy efficient. Ms. Pizza, the business owner, also enjoys volunteering and helping out at local fundraisers. This innovation can benefit anyone in society and help out different businesses as well as males and females of all ages.
This innovation started in 2016 as an online business and then moved to a store and online environment. This also shows a great technology position; she can have customers from across the country.
Currently, the business is located in Staten Island, NY, and Ms. Pizza is hoping to grow and add more locations. This business can fully benefit and impact both the environment and society.
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Cottage Closet is a fashion boutique that uses the power of style and simplicity to help women express their individuality. They strive to create a strong bond between their brand and clients to ensure lifelong customer relationships. Their mission is to encourage every woman to look beautiful by being simple.