Restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets were interested in the products, but the vendors were not ready. They were bringing available products to the weekly event, but they did not have experience consistently filling larger orders. The first Good Market shop was started in 2014 to fill this gap and serve as an incubator for small-scale producers and startup enterprises.
As a social enterprise, Good Market provides services that a conventional for-profit supermarket wouldn’t consider. For example, organic farmers and other rural producers often send products to Colombo by public bus or train, and the Good Market team works with tuk tuk drivers to coordinate pick up from the station.
Good Market is now opening additional retail outlets in Sri Lanka using a social franchise model. The goals are to make organic, natural, and eco-friendly products more affordable and accessible, expand market opportunities for Good Market approved enterprises, and provide space for community meetups and events.