Shop Equality

Sue Hunt has been a familiar face in central Eastleigh for ten years, running Shop Equality on the corner of Wells Place just opposite the Swan Centre selling a wide variety of Fairtrade products – edibles, socks, toys, beauty products and much more - and offering a refill station. A weekly collection service helped her survive lockdown after grants had assisted with her essentials such as rent. 

The business was previously located in Shirley and when the owners retired, someone suggested that Sue was just the person to take over because of her passion for all things Fairtrade. A leaky roof prompted the relocation to Eastleigh and she hasn’t looked back since.

Sue said: “I have always had a passion for Fairtrade ever since I found out that 95% of coffee farmers live in poverty; it didn’t make any sense to me, so that’s how it all started. Pre-lockdown, I enjoyed speaking to schools and community groups about Fairtrade as I love the idea that you’re buying something and supporting someone who is trying to get out of poverty; family groups supply a lot of the products.

“I like to think that people always find something unique and different in the shop. Just buy one thing that’s Fairtrade - it will be a small change for you but it will make a massive difference to someone else. None of us can change the world overnight but we can all change one thing.”