People Tree

For the Expo 67 pavilion, see Canadian Pavilion § People Tree.
People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd.
Company typeLimited
IndustryClothing, home wares and food design, distribution and retailing; holding company
Founded2007
FoundersSafia Minney, James Minney[1][2][3][4][5]
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Area served
  • United Kingdom
  • Europe
  • United States
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Scandinavia
Key people
  • James Minney (CEO)
  • CJ Wilson (director)
  • Richard Minney (director)
  • Hana Sim (trademark owner)
ProductsClothing, fashion
Websitepeopletree.com
Fair Trade Company KK
Company typeLimited
IndustryClothing, home wares and food design, distribution and retailing
Founded1991
FoundersSafia Minney, James Minney[1][2][3][4][5]
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
Area served
Japan
Key people
James Minney (CEO), Hana Sim (trademark owner)
ProductsClothing, fashion
Websitepeopletree.co.jp
People Tree Ltd.
Company typePrivate
IndustryClothing, and home wares design, distribution and retailing
Founded1994
FoundersSafia Minney, James Minney[1][2][3][4][5]
DefunctOctober 18, 2023 (2023-10-18)
FateEntered liquidation due to bankruptcy
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Area served
  • United Kingdom
  • Europe
  • United States
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Scandinavia
Key people
James Minney (CEO)
ProductsClothing, fashion
OwnerPeople Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd (100%)
Website

People Tree is the trading or legal name of a number of current and former fair trade apparel, home wares and food businesses, starting with Fair Trade Company KK founded in Japan in 1991,[6] (trading in Japan under the name People Tree or ピープルツリー in Japanese) and People Tree Ltd founded in the UK in 1994.

In 2007, the businesses were organised into a group under People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd, United Kingdom (UK). The group formerly also included People Tree International Ltd (UK), People Tree Foundation (a UK charity), and People Tree Enterprises BV (Netherlands).

People Tree was one of the early proponents of fair trade and ethical fashion[7] and was the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) Fair Trade product label.[8] People Tree Ltd was, prior to bankruptcy, a WFTO member.[9] Fair Trade Company KK remains a member.[10]

The group laid off all UK and European staff in 2023,[11] amid financial trouble,[12] and continued its founding company in Tokyo. People Tree Ltd, the UK trading business, went into liquidation in September 2023, with debts of £8.5 million,[13] of which £4.8M were debts to directors and to other group companies, whilst £1.9M were debts to trade creditors including Fair Trade producers in developing countries.[14][13]

People Tree businesses no longer own the trademarks to the name "People Tree" - see § Trademarks

In March 2025, Fair Trade Company KK transferred its profitable People Tree food business into a new entity, People Seed Co, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AiiA Corporation[15][16][17] without any ownership remaining within the People Tree businesses. Fair Trade Company KK stated they had granted permission to People Seed for the use of the People Tree trademark[15], despite the People Tree Japanese trademark no longer belonging to Fair Trade Company KK or any People Tree business as of October 2024.[18]

People Tree businesses have been funded primarily by commercial lenders including Johnan Shinkin Bank,[19], Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation,[19][20] Shoko Chukin Bank,[19][20] Kansai Mirai Bank,[19] Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group,[19][20] Oikocredit Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society,[14][13] Shared Interest Society[14][13] together with non-bank lenders such as Stella Bernrain[14] and a variety of corporate and individual bondholders - many of whom lost their investments in 2023.[14]

History

Early years

The People Tree business developed from Global Village, an environmental campaigning non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by British born Safia Minney in Tokyo in 1991.[21][6][22][23][24] It began as a clothing catalogue which featured hand woven and natural dyed hand bags, clothing, and clogs made by women from Bangladesh.[25] Because it was difficult to find fair trade apparel products of a high enough quality for the Japanese market, Global Village started to do its own design in house.[26] Safia Minney said, "When I started out [...] we were investing in labour-intensive process while the industry was going in the other direction: mass-manufactured fashion, using synthetics instead of natural materials. We were dealing with very disadvantaged people in remote places."[27]

Initially the Global Village business was run from the home of Safia Minney, and her then-husband James Minney, also her business partner in founding People Tree.[28] In 1995, Fair Trade Company KK was formed as a limited company in Japan by transferring the fair trading activity of Global Village, and a shop was opened in the fashionable Jiyūgaoka district, in Tokyo.[29] In 1997, Safia Minney added a Fair Trade Fashion Collection, using eco-textiles, including organic cotton, to the products sold by Fair Trade Company.[30] People Tree was working closely with textile artisan groups to help them meet environmental standards and develop their market potential, with two full-time designers.[30]

In 2005, People Tree Japan launched its first 'prototype franchise' store in Tokyo.[31]

British Expansion

In 2000, People Tree's business expanded to the UK[32] where the brand formed a partnership with The Co-operative Group. In 2006, then-chief executive officer (CEO), Safia Minney persuaded Topshop executives to take People Tree into Topshop as a concession.[33]

Recent History

By 2004, the UK company was selling to 20 different countries and turned over $1.79 million.[25]

In 2015, founder and CEO, Safia Minney, left the business and separated from her husband James Minney, who was the chief financial officer (CFO).[26]

In 2021 an e-commerce was launched as 'the new home of People Tree in Europe'.[34] Since 2023, it has not had staff in the European Union (EU).

As of 2021, James Minney was CEO of People Tree.[35]

In August 2023, People Tree Ltd laid off the majority of UK staff. CEO James Minney set out the problem in stark form:

"We are figuring out what is the right way to go forward and how we can build up from this minimal base to restart"

In September 2023, People Tree Ltd entered liquidation[12][13]. People Tree Foundation Ltd and People Tree International Ltd were dissolved.

In March 2025, Fair Trade Company KK transferred its profitable food business to People Seed Co, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AiiA Corporation.[15][16][17]

As of 14 August 2025, People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd has applied to be struck-off from Companies House, the UK company register, the application signed by the companies three directors: James Minney, Richard Minney, and CJ Wilson.[36][37]

Trademarks

In 2024-25, People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd transferred its Japan, UK, Chinese, European, United States, South Korean and Taiwanese trademarks into the personal ownership of Hana Sim,[18][38][39][40][41][42][43] CEO James Minney's current wife. People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd allowed its Hong Kong and Australian trademarks to lapse due to non-payment of fees in 2024.[44][45]

Products

People Tree designs, manufactures, and markets its own label. It implemented the first supply chain for organic cotton and was the first organization in the world to achieve Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification for a supply chain located in the developing world. In the past it has worked in collaboration with designers like Orla Kiely and Bora Aksu,[46] as well as London's Victoria and Albert Museum.[47] People Tree is sold in 500 stores around the world including ASOS.com. The company also runs its own e-commerce business.[46]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Why We Love People Tree". Sanchos. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "People Tree joins the OTB". Organic Trade Board. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Corporate Strategy Case Study – 'People Tree'". Ethical & Sustainable Fashion. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "People Tree Jiyugaoka". Time Out. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "This Earth Day, Boycott Fast Fashion And Try These Sustainable Brands Instead". Plant Based News. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b Goworek, Helen (1 January 2011). "Social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry: a case study of a fair trade retailer". Social Responsibility Journal. 7 (1): 74–86. doi:10.1108/17471111111114558. ISSN 1747-1117.
  7. ^ Europe, WFTO (16 November 2015). "Our Members – People Tree". WFTO Europe. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  8. ^ "WFTO Inside View: People Tree". Common Objective. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  9. ^ "GUARANTEED FAIR TRADE ORGANISATIONS". World Fair Trade Organisation. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  10. ^ "People Tree Japan". World Fair Trade Organization. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  11. ^ Hu, Zoe (7 September 2023). "People Tree cuts jobs amid restructuring". Drapers. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Peopletree is rated "Poor" with 1.9 / 5 on Trustpilot". Trustpilot. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e Butler, Sarah (27 September 2023). "Ethical fashion brand People Tree puts UK arm into liquidation, owing £8.5m". theguardian.com. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. ^ a b c d e People Tree Ltd Directors' Statement of Affairs October 2023
  15. ^ a b c "食品部門の資本・事業提携に関するお知らせ". ピープルツリー公式オンラインショップ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  16. ^ a b "会社概要 | AiiA Corporation アイア株式会社" (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  17. ^ a b "フェアトレードチョコレートの輸入販売等を手がけるグループ新会社「株式会社People Seed」設立のお知らせ". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES (in Japanese). 31 July 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b "Japan Platform for Patent Information". www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  19. ^ a b c d e Fair Trade Co KK annual Accounts Report
  20. ^ a b c "会社概要". ピープルツリー公式オンラインショップ (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  21. ^ "People Tree takes root in Japan". Japan Today. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  22. ^ Wakabayashi, Liane (2 February 2015). "Going the extra mile for fair-trade fashion". The Japan Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  23. ^ "Awardees". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Safia L. Minney". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  25. ^ a b Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal (2005). Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption.
  26. ^ a b McGregor, Kirsty (21 April 2022). "Power from the people: Safia Minney's sustainable fashion mission". Drapers. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  27. ^ Finer, Nadia and Emily (2011). More to Life Than Shoes: How to Kick-Start Your Career and Change Your Life.
  28. ^ "I whispered in Prince Charles's ear, as I had with the Dalai Lama, 'you really should be wearing organic cotton'". Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via PressReader.
  29. ^ "People Tree - OUR STORY".
  30. ^ a b "Ethical Entrepreneurship: Safia Minney". Ivy City Tribune. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  31. ^ "People Tree". fashionabc. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  32. ^ "Awardees". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  33. ^ "How We Met: Safia Minney & Jane Shepherdson". Independent.co.uk. 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  34. ^ "People Tree EU - the new European home of the ethical fashion pioneer". People Tree. Retrieved 22 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ^ "Fair Trade's Hall of Fame". wfto.com. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  36. ^ "PEOPLE TREE FAIR TRADE GROUP LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  37. ^ "Strike-off Application showing signatures of Directors of People Tree Fair Trade Group Ltd" (PDF). Dropbox. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  38. ^ "People Tree | UK Intellectual Property Office". trademarks.ipo.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  39. ^ "Marcaria Chinese trademark search for People Tree trademark". Marcaria. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  40. ^ "EUIPO record for People Tree trademark". euipo.europa.eu. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  41. ^ "USPTO record for People Tree trademark". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  42. ^ "KIPRIS Trademark Record for People Tree trademark in South Korea". doi.org/. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  43. ^ "Intellectual Property Bureau Trademark Search System". cloud.tipo.gov.tw. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  44. ^ "Hong Kong Trademark Search". esearch.ipd.gov.hk. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  45. ^ "Trade Mark 1005750 | IP Australia | Trade Mark Search". search.ipaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  46. ^ a b "Safia Minney MBE - People Tree Founder | Gordon Poole Agency".
  47. ^ "People Tree x V&A Collaboration". People Tree. People Tree Ltd. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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