We've been interviewing for associates the past couple of weeks, which means I've been doing quite a bit of talking about who we are and why we do what we do. One of the most important ideas I try to convey to potential employees is how invested we are in the relationships we have with each other, our customers and our vendors. We let candidates know that we are human and we see each other as human.
When you buy a pair of jeans from your favorite retailer, do you think about where and how they were made? Probably not too much. When you buy them online, you probably think about it even less. I'm not trying to make you feel bad; I'm the same way. The system itself of purchasing from large corporations, and especially the ease of doing so with a few clicks on a website, increases the distance between the people involved in the transaction and decreases the humanity of it.
That's why purchasing from small businesses matters. That's why small businesses buying from small wholesalers and direct from small manufacturers matters. It promotes a more direct connection between the hands that made the item and the hands in which the item ends up. It's the difference between 2 or 3 degrees of separation and 20 or 30.
I'm going to take this opportunity to introduce a new brand we'll begin carrying very soon: Good hYOUman. Besides including a clever pun, they're committed to making high-quality clothing in the US. They collaborate with different designers to create comfortable, soft casual wear with positive messages. We'll have them in-store in the next few weeks!