By: Nicolette Kalache and Samantha Cortes
Burke Mercantile, located on 1st Street in Downtown Long Beach, embraces the city’s strong vintage culture with a modern contemporary twist.
Maggie Stoll, who founded Burke Mercantile in 2017, always had an eye for aesthetically pleasing fashion and products. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Stoll moved to Long Beach after college and immediately immersed herself in the fashion industry.
After eight years of working for a fast fashion company, Stoll became aware of the harmful impacts of the fast fashion industry.
“I tried to make small changes at the company store level, and it just wasn’t really possible,” Stoll said. “I started to build a dream of having my own space and being able to make those decisions that make a better impact on the planet.”
Burke Mercantile is recognized as a Certified Green Business by the City of Long Beach and the state of California.
Certified Green Businesses ensure that not only the products sold are sustainable but also the operations of the business behind the scenes are sustainable. Some qualifications include but are not limited to reusing materials, lighting, fuel efficiency and paper usage.
“I only buy 50 to 100% recycled paper products, which go from my shopping bags, my shipping supplies and my printer paper,” Stoll said. “All the things I buy are recycled, I also use energy-efficient equipment.”
The brands at Burke come from all around the world and are sustainably shipped to Long Beach. Three main brands that Stoll believes match her store’s core values are Kowtow, a New Zealand brand, Baserange, a French brand, and Rachel Comey, a New York-based brand.
Kowtow is a Certified B Corporation, which is the highest sustainability certification a company can get. All of their products are made with 100% organic cotton, and they ensure that their workers are paid fair wages.
Baserange uses all-natural and recycled fibers. They are also shifting to plant-based dying. Rachel Comey is attractive to Stoll because of their progressive views and initiatives toward sustainability
Burke Mercantile, like other small businesses, faced financial setbacks when the store closed its doors during the pandemic. The business was able to stay afloat by transitioning to an online storefront but continues to feel the impact of the closure.
“Since then, my business has been 60 to 75% online,” said Stoll. “The in-store traffic hasn’t returned to the way it was prior to the pandemic. A lot of people don’t actually know how much our neighborhood has grown and how many new small businesses are here.”
Stoll said that rising inflation has also been a challenge for her business. The cost of eco-friendly supplies is already more expensive than the alternative, and has been difficult to keep up with store expenses, according to Stoll.
“We’ve lost a couple of our local small businesses within the last six months, and it’s really hard whenever that happens because we’re a really strong small business community down here,” said Stoll.
Through community outreach, Stoll hopes to rebuild Burke Mercantile’s in-person customer base and educate others on sustainable practices. The business owner is currently preparing for the city’s Beach Streets event on May 20, where local nonprofits, eco-friendly small businesses and vintage vendors will set up on pop-ups on 1st Street.
The event will also feature clothing, pottery and record swap booths. Clothing mending classes and a natural dye booth will also be offered.
“I really like the opportunity to get all of the environmentally-value-minded people among us together at one event and share those resources,” said Stoll. “Any little thing that someone can change, from mending a shirt to buying a refillable bottle, is making an impact, even if it doesn’t seem like much.”
Despite having less foot traffic at Burke Mercantile since the pandemic, Stoll said the local community has been a powerful support system for the business.
“We all work really closely together to share resources, refer customers to one another and try to do small events with two or three businesses at a time,” Stoll said.
Despite the challenges she has encountered as a business owner, Stoll is optimistic about the future of the business and would like to expand her impact beyond fashion. Stoll is hoping to partner with the city council to fund educational events that promote sustainability in the community.
Edited April 15, 2023 for accuracy.