A young Teddington entrepreneur has helped launched the online Social Supermarket selling social enterprise goods which help tackle social and environmental challenges and offer the consumer alternative shopping options from conventional outlets.

Set up last year by Alex Owen and two friends, Social Supermarket was created to connect every-day consumers with social enterprises; businesses which sell high quality products which support social and environmental causes.

The range of products include handbags made from decommissioned fire hoses, food relishes made with wonky fruit and veg, gin supporting clean water projects, soap made by people with visual impairments as well as gifts and everyday items, all of which have something extra special about them.

Alex told Teddington Nub News said:"We are on a journey to become the most comprehensive marketplace for social enterprise products in the UK. To be the first place that people look for products that change the world for the better.

"We want to be the first place that customers come to find gifts and everyday items that have a positive social and environmental impact.

"It seems like a day doesn't go by without a new social or environmental campaign from plastics, worker's rights to palm oil.

"We all want to be conscious about how our day to day purchases have an impact on these issues. Social Supermarket has created a growing marketplace of products that help tackle these issues without compromising on quality.

"We focus on bringing you the best quality social enterprise products from the market whilst also highlighting the social and environmental story behind these brands.

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"We have a comprehensive selection of products under one roof on our online shop, promoting new and existing social enterprises. You can also find more about some of the stories behind these brands in our blog."

If you are looking for a gift hamper, or an everyday essential with a difference, there is something for everyone on Social Supermarket and until Sunday June 14, the site is offering a 10% discount on all orders using this special code 'Teddington10'

The original idea was sparked by the team's individual backgrounds in social and environmental responsibility and the growth in social enterprise business, as more and more customers become more selective and want their products to do more for social and environmental causes.

They started their journey with 10 brands and 100 products and have since grown to cover more than 55 brands and 700 products as demand for wider choice has increased.

They recently expanded the business into gift boxes, which have proved particularly popular during Covid-19, allowing people to send a selection of socially-responsible gifts to their loved ones or colleagues during these challenging times.

What is a social enterprise?

Social enterprises reinvest the money they make back into their business or the local community. This allows them to tackle social problems, improve people's life chances, support communities and help the environment whilst also turning a profit.

Social enterprises have grown rapidly over the last ten years and have proved to have been more resilient than other small businesses through a stagnant economy.

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A recent study has shown there are around 80,000 social enterprises in the UK representing circa 4% of GDP. This growing movement uses a sustainable business model to stand out from the market and offer something truly unique for the consumer.

If you would like to find out more about the fascinating Social Supermarket story, please just send an email to: [email protected]

Explore the amazing website which is an Aladdin's Cave of environmental friendly items