Williams-Sonoma Turns White Space Green with New Brand
The latest addition to Williams-Sonoma Inc.’s portfolio, GreenRow, illustrates a demonstrated effort to make good on its promises to double investments in Fair Trade U.S.A. programs by 2025. And with the global sustainable home décor and furniture market valued at $331 billion in 2021, according to Research and Markets—and 76 percent of U.S. consumers willing to pay more for eco-friendly finds, Statista found—it’s high time the Pottery Barn parent got on the bandwagon.
The home furnishings retailer’s internally designed and developed brand specializes in using sustainable materials and manufacturing practices to create colorful, “vintage-inspired, heirloom-quality” products. Its debut assortment features living, bedroom and dining furniture as well as rugs, bedding, pillows, throws, curtains and more.
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“GreenRow showcases Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s passion for innovation and our ability to create products that inspire our customers and our industry,” Laura Alber, president and CEO of Williams-Sonoma, said. “By utilizing our in-house design capabilities, sourcing teams, vendor relationships, purchasing power and our world-class supply chain, we were able to develop a new brand that addresses white space within the aesthetic of our portfolio and embraces our unwavering commitment to sustainability.”
Every item—all 107 of them—within the GreenRow line supports at least one of Williams-Sonoma’s 22 social or environmental initiatives, such as being Fair Trade Certified or meeting the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Recycled Claim Standard or Organic Content Standard.
Williams-Sonoma said GreenRow prioritizes using sustainable manufacturing practices with low-impact materials when possible, including responsibly sourced cotton, linen, wood and recycled materials. The handmade, artisanal craftsmanship features in the debut collection, which means several of the pieces are one-of-a-kind or limited edition.
“GreenRow is focused on creating modern heirlooms by combining bright colors and thoughtful details into sustainable materials,” Jaimee Seabury, Williams-Sonoma’s vice president of strategy and business development, said. “In addition to designing into a timeless aesthetic, we also committed to utilizing sustainable manufacturing practices and teaching our customers how to care for our products in order to ensure their longevity.”
Led by Seabury, the GreenRow team collaborated closely with craftspeople in the United States and globally to design and develop products for the new brand. GreenRow also partnered with third-party organizations to certify products against industry standards, such as Textile Exchange’s Global Recycling Standard, Fair Trade U.S.A. and Nest’s Ethical Handcraft Program, to encourage worker welfare and sustainable production throughout the supply chain. And customers who purchase a solid wood furniture product from GreenRow support Williams-Sonoma’s tree planting program, which plants a tree for every piece of indoor furniture (containing at least 80 percent wood) sold.
The company’s decision to double investments in Fair Trade U.S.A. programs was initially announced in October 2021. At that time Williams-Sonoma also vowed to increase purchasing of products from Nest Ethical Handicraft, an organization that supports the wellbeing of artisans globally. Though Williams-Sonoma has partnered with Fair Trade U.S.A. and Nest since 2014, this commitment represented $1 billion in product purchases annually.
