Ten Thousand Villages

What Ten Thousand Villages does

Ten Thousand Villages is a U.S.-based non-profit fair trade retailer founded in 1946 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company sells handcrafted goods sourced from artisan cooperatives in at least 14 countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Its core product catalog spans Home + Garden (baskets, planters, wall art, throws, candles), Kitchen + Dining (serveware, drinkware, table linens, mugs, teapots, utensils), Bath + Personal Care (artisan soap, shea butter, skincare, sustainable bath and laundry items, robes), Fashion Accessories (jewelry, scarves, bags, hats), and Curios (singing bowls, games, musical instruments), with price points ranging from approximately $5 to $200. The company positions itself as a pioneer of the fair trade movement, with explicit emphasis on fair wages, ethical sourcing, sustainable and upcycled materials, and preservation of heritage craft techniques.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer sales flow through the tenthousandvillages.com e-commerce storefront and physical retail stores, while a dedicated wholesale portal (wholesale.tenthousandvillages.com) serves retailers and corporate gifting buyers. Marketing relies on owned channels including an email newsletter community, "The Villager" content blog, and curated gift-guide merchandising organized by recipient and occasion. Customer segments are primarily consumer-persona based: gift buyers and conscious home consumers are the primary segments, while corporate buyers and wholesale customers are secondary segments. All products are sold on a one-time-purchase unit pricing model, with free shipping on orders over $150. Underlying technology consists of artisan handcraft using traditional techniques, fair trade sourcing and supply chain traceability systems, and standard e-commerce platform functionality — there is no disclosed AI/ML, API, or proprietary software product.

Ten Thousand Villages has been operating for 80 years and currently employs 11-50 people. It is privately held with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or private equity backing. The only disclosed capital event is a $50,000 funding entry dated 2020-12-28 with unknown investors. No revenue figures, M&A activity, regulatory actions, leadership changes, or restructuring events are present in the available data, limiting financial visibility. The company operates as a mission-driven non-profit rather than a growth-stage investment vehicle.

Name

Ten Thousand Villages

Website

https://tenthousandvillages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ten Thousand Villages is a U.S. non-profit fair trade retailer, founded 1946, selling handcrafted home goods, jewelry, kitchenware, and gifts sourced from artisan cooperatives across 14-plus countries through e-commerce, retail stores, and wholesale channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Handcrafted Retail

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Artisan, Handmade & Craft Gifts Retail (CRALAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA), Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA), Seasonal & Holiday Craft Supplies Retail (CRALACAI)

Keywords

• Fair trade retail
• Handcrafted home goods
• Artisan-made gifts
• Ethical home decor
• Sustainable artisan products

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time purchase model for handcrafted goods sold directly to consumers through e-commerce and retail stores. Products range from home décor and kitchenware to jewelry and personal care items, with price points typically between $5-$200.
2. Wholesale: Wholesale channel for business customers (retailers, corporate buyers) to purchase artisan-made products for resale or gifting purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ten Thousand Villages curates and retails handcrafted artisan-made products including home decor, baskets, kitchenware, drinkware, table linens, jewelry, fashion accessories, soap, skincare, and novelty items, sourced under fair trade principles from artisan cooperatives in low-income communities across 14+ countries. Products are sold directly to consumers through an owned e-commerce storefront and physical retail stores, with prices typically ranging from $5 to $200 and free shipping on orders over $150.

Product overview

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retail company selling handcrafted goods and gifts. The product portfolio consists of home + garden décor, kitchen + dining items, bath + personal care products, fashion accessories, curiosities, and gift guides. The company operates as a unified retail platform with products organized by category on their e-commerce website. Core offerings include handcrafted baskets, pottery, textiles, jewelry, soap and skincare, and unique curios items. All products are sourced from artisan makers under fair trade principles, emphasizing sustainable, eco-friendly, and culturally authentic handmade goods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home + Garden
• Kitchen + Dining
• Bath + Personal Care
• Fashion Accessories
• Curios
• Gift Guides and Gift Cards
• Wholesale Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Artisan communities receive fair wages and sustainable income through ethical trade partnerships

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Artisan Cooperatives (Bangladesh)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Bangladesh producing handcrafted goods, with products available on the e-commerce platform.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Guatemala)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Guatemala, producing items such as worry dolls and traditional crafts.
• Artisan Cooperatives (India)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in India producing block print textiles, jewelry, home décor and other handcrafted goods.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Kenya)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Kenya producing handcrafted items.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Nepal)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Nepal producing handcrafted goods.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Vietnam)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Vietnam producing handcrafted items such as the Moi Ceramic Juicer.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Tunisia)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Tunisia producing handcrafted goods.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Ghana)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Ghana producing items such as the Ghana Breaking Bread Basket.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Peru)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Peru producing handcrafted goods.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Indonesia)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Indonesia producing handcrafted items.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Pakistan)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Pakistan producing handcrafted goods.
• Artisan Cooperatives (West Bank)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in the West Bank producing handcrafted items.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Egypt)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in Egypt producing items such as the Matbakh Cotton Tea Towel.
• Artisan Cooperatives (Philippines)coreOthersPartnership with artisan groups in the Philippines producing handcrafted goods.
• ProKriteecoreOthersArtisan partner organization featured in product photography, producing handcrafted items including palm leaf products.
• RishilpicoreOthersArtisan partner organization featured in product imagery, producing handcrafted basket items.
• Kumbeshwar Technical SchoolcoreOthersArtisan partner organization producing handcrafted items such as knit goods.
• GE Works (Palestine)coreOthersArtisan partner organization in Palestine featured in product photography.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NOVICA: Online fair trade marketplace specializing in handcrafted artisan goods (jewelry, home décor, gifts) sourced from artisans in developing countries. Directly comparable to Ten Thousand Villages on product mix, target customer, and fair trade value proposition.
• The Little Market: Fair trade retailer selling handcrafted artisan goods across home, kitchen, jewelry, and gift categories sourced from artisan cooperatives worldwide. Closely comparable assortment, mission, and direct-to-consumer model.
• Made Trade: Online fair trade and sustainable retailer offering ethical fashion, home goods, jewelry, and gifts. Comparable curated assortment, conscious consumer positioning, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
• SERRV International: Nonprofit fair trade organization selling handcrafted artisan gifts, home décor, and accessories sourced from global artisan cooperatives. Highly comparable nonprofit fair trade retail model and product mix.
• Fair Trade Winds: Brick-and-mortar fair trade retail chain selling artisan-made gifts, home décor, and personal care products from global artisan partners. Comparable physical retail model and product assortment to Ten Thousand Villages' store-based operations.
• Heifer International Marketplace: Nonprofit organization offering curated gift items tied to artisan and agricultural communities, with a similar mission-driven, gift-occasion purchase model and ethical sourcing positioning.
• UNICEF Inspired Gifts: Mission-driven nonprofit gift catalog and online shop offering curated products linked to artisan and community programs. Comparable gift-occasion purchase model and ethical/mission-driven consumer proposition.

Emerging players

• GlobeIn: Fair trade artisan goods retailer offering curated artisan collections and subscription-style boxes. Comparable artisan sourcing model with partial overlap on product categories and target market.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy (Handmade category): Massive online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods including jewelry, home décor, and gifts. Competes with Ten Thousand Villages for the conscious handmade consumer via vastly larger catalog and seller base.
• West Elm (Fair Trade collection): Large specialty home furnishings retailer carrying an explicit Fair Trade Certified home goods assortment. Overlaps with Ten Thousand Villages on artisan-made home décor and sustainable home category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ten-thousand-villages-us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ten Thousand Villages