In The New York Times Magazine: Preserve

Posted by Rob Walker on March 7, 2009
Posted Under: Consumed

Revalued:
A maker of recycled-plastic products bets that eco-chic will outlast the downturn.

This week in Consumed, a look at Preserve, and selling an ethical-consumption story in a time of penny-pinching:

Organic-food sales are suffering. Some people are flat-out bragging about shunning cool design. And both Target and Whole Foods, which happen to be Preserve’s biggest retail distributors, are struggling. So what does this new environment mean for a brand like Preserve? Its products aren’t terribly expensive — $2 for a toothbrush, $6 for a set of tumblers, $10 for a cutting board. But shoppers who value frugal over eco can clearly find cheaper alternatives….

CEO Eric Hudson and firms like his are hoping shoppers will ask themselves, “How can I feel really good about the 5 things I’m going to buy in the store today versus the 25 that I used to buy seven months ago?”…

Read the column in the March 8, 2009, issue of The New York Times Magazine, or here.

Consumed archive is here, and FAQ is here. The Times’ Consumed RSS feed is here. Consumed Facebook page is here.

“Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Magazine, The New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018. The e-mail address is magazine@nytimes.com. All letters should include the writer’s name, address and daytime telephone number. We are unable to acknowledge or return unpublished letters. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.”

Further diversion may be found at MKTG Tumblr, and the Consumed Facebook page.

Comments are closed.

Next Post:
Previous Post: