World of HOPE

“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears, It’s a world of HOPE and a world of fear, There’s so much that we share, that it’s time we’re aware, It’s a small world after all!”

Inspired by my favorite childhood ride at Disneyland (in hindsight, strangely reflective of my life’s outcome), HOPE has decided, based on feedback from boutique owners in three countries, to initiate the “World of HOPE” campaign and special no-risk buying program to qualifying small boutique owners.

What it is: The “World of HOPE” campaign and buying program allows retailers to receive HOPE product, free of risk.
When the product sells, the retailer pays. If the product does not sell after a length of time, the retailer sends it back. No questions asked. When retailers sell HOPE garments, HOPE will continue to donate one item of clothing to Burmese Refugees and the Internally Displaced People of Burma (Myanmar) from our Thai headquarters.

The program is based on neighborly trust and faith. The people of Burma must have faith and trust that strangers might care that their human rights are being severely abused. For us to help them, we must have faith and trust in honest business. And for you to help, you must also have faith and trust in honest business.

Why we’re doing it:, HOPE decided to initiate the World of HOPE campaign and buying program after speaking to several boutique owners in the U.S.A., England and France. Almost every retailer is weary of the “current retail climate” and finding themselves in either a flight pattern or a fight pattern.

The retailers in a flight pattern were in somewhat of a fear mode and playing it so safe that their stores became boring and uninspiring. One couldn’t find a unique gift inside the shop for the life of them. Those in a fight pattern were more in a survival mode, still playing it safe, but highlighting a few unique and interesting things. They had more confidence in their buying strategies as well.

With the realization that over half of the retailers we spoke with were in a flight pattern, came the brutal understanding that we wouldn’t be able to help the refugees if retailers weren’t willing to take a risk. So we decided to take the risk. It didn’t seem fair that many of these small boutiques couldn’t buy the more interesting products because the minimums were too high. Many retailers couldn’t understand why vendors had such high minimums with the current climate. We couldn’t understand it either so we decided to show just how confident we are that HOPE clothing will sell. We decided to make it known how confident we are that we all can make a difference in our small world.

The World of HOPE program was tested in both the U.S.A. and England and the response was phenomenal. Consumers were not only thrilled to make fair trade purchases at decent prices but also to be making purchases to help others whose lives are in complete shambles compared to their own. It’s easy for any mother to sympathize with another, even miles away, when it comes to the survival of her babies.