Found: a store that cares.
For many people, a shopping experience that makes them feel good is important, but we also want to know that what we’re purchasing is sustainable and ethically made. At Found Store, Liz Viviani and Ann-Maree Parsons make this achievable!
Found Store is a unique offering of clothing and homewares that’s located in MADE in Hamilton East, a contemporary new shopping complex in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
Liz and Ann-Maree originally started out sharing a strong passion for selling second hand vintage clothing and collectibles, however over the past three years they have grown the business and are now stocking a full store of wide range new fashion, homewares and more.
This is not to say it has been an easy road and Found has tackled some tough challenges along the way. After opening in July 2020, Liz said they came into a “really unique climate” with the Covid pandemic.
However, they say this shaped them into strong business women, who are now used to adapting and changing which Liz said “has been such a benefit for them”.
Found Store is located on the top floor of MADE, accessed from the Grey Street entrance. The store is found through a wide glass entrance, you’re welcomed into a flowing space with racks filled with beautiful collections of unique brands alongside shelves filled with eye-catching products, this environment is made warm with the green tones of interior and groovy architecture.
The team at Found say they make a constant effort to value every customer and ensure all shoppers leave Found feeling positive and looked after.
Liz is confident about their core values, saying these include being transparent and they’re honest with their customers. She says they “aim to push forward and listen to their customers as a person rather than telling them what to like or to buy”. Both Liz and Ann-Maree say they feel ‘it’s very collaborative and important to them’.
Found point of uniqueness is their values, this is what makes Found standout in the retail community. These values benefit shoppers and provide a shopping experience that ticks all the boxes.
The owners have a specific system they follow when it comes to stocking sustainable and ethically made brands. This means they know where items come from and are able to track right back to the thread/fabric or the material that is used to create the product.
Liz said “Ethically people need to be paid a living wage”. Their approach is to always ask questions to our brands to see if they’re meeting this criteria, the conditions that people are working in, and if the places where the work is taking place is certified”.
This all comes into play for them when they bring in a new brand and curate the items we see on the racks when in store. Liz feels it’s ‘rare for this system to be this specific, but it is’.
“Nobody’s perfect but we love to work with brands that are actually making an effort”
Liz Viviani – co owner of found
Liz said they also understand that not all ‘brands’ are perfect but Found does their best to showcase the brands that are making a conscious effort, Liz said “when we look at buying, we look for items that people will have in their wardrobe forever”. This means we are less likely to be getting rid of items constantly and helps to prevent us from following along with the wrongful systems that cause our items to go into polluting our planet.
Found Store makes the perfect place to shop of sustainable, well-curated and ethically produced clothing and homewares, that leave the shoppers feeling great about not just their aesthetic, but that the pieces we are purchasing are well thought out.
To find out more about Found Store and to browse their website click here.
