Afrocentric beauty, home goods and specialty food items from around the world delivered in days.
Project Description
WHAT IS ETHNIC DISTRICT?
Ethnic District is an online retailer for Afrocentric beauty, home goods, and grocery items for people of color. Our customers can shop from over 100 suppliers globally who create cosmetics, skincare, haircare, homeware, food items, and more for people of color.
THE PROBLEM
We are tired of being underestimated and overlooked.
Have you ever walked into a traditional retail store looking for products for people of color, only to find one or two aisles towards the back of the store with just a few products from a few brands? And If the retailer happens to be in an "urban" community, you have probably noticed the ethnic products locked behind a glass door--requiring a store associate to retrieve it before purchase. How humiliating.
The ethnic beauty industry is worth nearly $500 billion. People of color hold $1.2 Trillion in buying power right here in the U.S. -- so why aren't big-box retailers catering more to our needs?
THE SOLUTION
We are a judgment-free, online retailer that allows you to discover and effortlessly shop affordable Afrocentric beauty and cultural food items from brands around the world and have it delivered to your doorstep within days. We curate and select every single product in our store to ensure that it represents and caters to the unique needs of people of color.
WE EMPOWER COMMUNITIES AND GIVE BACK!
Not only do we work with amazing, black-owned brands in the U.S. but we also source our inventory directly from black-owned brands and certified fair trade organizations in Africa -- providing them with the distribution needed to compete in the U.S. retail market.
Starting November 2020, 2% of every order will go towards a care package full of essential beauty and food items to help families in need during the holiday season.
We're crowdfunding to multiply our impact!
Your contributions will go directly towards inventory, adding two part-time
staff members to our team and setting up our first fulfillment facility.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US:
Decreased lead times
More efficient, streamlined operations
Provide jobs within the community
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
More amazing brands and products to choose from
Faster delivery times + better shopping experience
Future generations will have more representation in retail because of YOU! #PRICELESS
THANK YOU!
"From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank you for believing in us, supporting us, and the communities we impact. During this time of chaos and confusion in our country, we appreciate you standing by us on our mission to disrupt the retail industry, and provide people of color with the retail experience they deserve while re-investing in our communities."
- Whitney Osei-Akintaju, Founder & CEO of Ethnic District
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Where are you based?
A: Atlanta, GA but we work with brands from all over the world, especially in underserved communities.
Q: When will I receive my reward?
A: We issue rewards out on a rolling basis as we receive contributions
Q: Can I sell my products on your site?
A: Heck YES! We are always looking for amazing beauty and food brands by underrepresented founders. Visit ethnicdistrict.com/sell to fill out our seller application form, so that we can learn more about you and your brand
Give us what you can to support our mission to make products for people of color more accessible in the U.S.--no reward needed.
We are so excited that you believe in us enough to support us with your hard-earned coins! To show our gratitude, we'll give you a special THANK YOU shout-out on all of our social media channels, so that our supporters will know that we are because of YOU!
With this contribution, you will receive a specially curated box full of Afrocentric food and snacks items (retail value $150) from brands all over the world!
This assortment box can not be found on our website; it can only be purchased through our IFW crowdfunding campaign.
You'll receive an assortment of snacks like:
- Bel's Bakery African Chin Chin
- Partake Cookies
- Mavuno Harvest Dried Coconut
- Imazi Plantain Chips
- Goldentree Chocolate Bars
- Theo Chocolate
- Buttermint
And more...
Additional Rewards
You will also receive a Social Media Shout Out
With this contribution, you will receive a special, deluxe curated gift box (retail value $400) containing some of our best-selling beauty, food, and home decor items.
This assortment box can not be found on our website; it can only be purchased through our IFW crowdfunding campaign.
You will receive products from brands like Skin Gourmet, Black Girl Sunscreen, Nokware Skincare, Propa Beauty, Nolaskinsentials, Urban Hydration, Nobunto, Yolele Foods, and more.
Additional Rewards
You will also receive a Social Media Shout Out
Each contribution will directly go towards sourcing inventory from a black-owned brand. The more contributions we get, the more we can support and bring on board companies by people of color! #KeepTheWealthCirculating
For this reward you will receive:
- A social Media Shout-Out
- A 25% off coupon code - no restrictions
- A special gift from the brand you funded
- The Deluxe Curated Gift Box
- Early access to new products and sales
- VIP access to all events (pop-ups, sip-and-shops, etc.)
- Your name and/or business on the special Patrons page of our website
- A tree planted and dedicated to you in Ada, Ghana
This contribution will go directly towards rent and expenses to set up our very first fulfillment space! Our fulfillment space will allow us to move operations from my small garage, stock more inventory, and increase our fulfillment capacity.
You will receive:
- A social Media Shout-Out
- A 30% off coupon code - no restrictions
- Free shipping on all orders for 1 month
- The Deluxe Curated Gift Box
- Early access to new products and sales
- VIP access to all events (pop-ups, sip-and-shops, etc.)
- Your name and/or business on the special Patrons page of our website
- 6 yards of authentic, Ghanaian kente cloth specially handwoven for you by Ashanti artisans
- A tree planted and dedicated to you in Ada, Ghana
- The satisfaction of knowing that you helped an amazing black-owned business to provide jobs for people in underserved communities! (NOW THIS IS PRICELESS)
Rewards
Give us what you can to support our mission to make products for people of color more accessible in the U.S.--no reward needed.
We are so excited that you believe in us enough to support us with your hard-earned coins! To show our gratitude, we'll give you a special THANK YOU shout-out on all of our social media channels, so that our supporters will know that we are because of YOU!
With this contribution, you will receive a specially curated box full of Afrocentric food and snacks items (retail value $150) from brands all over the world!
This assortment box can not be found on our website; it can only be purchased through our IFW crowdfunding campaign.
You'll receive an assortment of snacks like:
- Bel's Bakery African Chin Chin
- Partake Cookies
- Mavuno Harvest Dried Coconut
- Imazi Plantain Chips
- Goldentree Chocolate Bars
- Theo Chocolate
- Buttermint
And more...
Additional Rewards
You will also receive a Social Media Shout Out
With this contribution, you will receive a special, deluxe curated gift box (retail value $400) containing some of our best-selling beauty, food, and home decor items.
This assortment box can not be found on our website; it can only be purchased through our IFW crowdfunding campaign.
You will receive products from brands like Skin Gourmet, Black Girl Sunscreen, Nokware Skincare, Propa Beauty, Nolaskinsentials, Urban Hydration, Nobunto, Yolele Foods, and more.
Additional Rewards
You will also receive a Social Media Shout Out
Each contribution will directly go towards sourcing inventory from a black-owned brand. The more contributions we get, the more we can support and bring on board companies by people of color! #KeepTheWealthCirculating
For this reward you will receive:
- A social Media Shout-Out
- A 25% off coupon code - no restrictions
- A special gift from the brand you funded
- The Deluxe Curated Gift Box
- Early access to new products and sales
- VIP access to all events (pop-ups, sip-and-shops, etc.)
- Your name and/or business on the special Patrons page of our website
- A tree planted and dedicated to you in Ada, Ghana
This contribution will go directly towards rent and expenses to set up our very first fulfillment space! Our fulfillment space will allow us to move operations from my small garage, stock more inventory, and increase our fulfillment capacity.
You will receive:
- A social Media Shout-Out
- A 30% off coupon code - no restrictions
- Free shipping on all orders for 1 month
- The Deluxe Curated Gift Box
- Early access to new products and sales
- VIP access to all events (pop-ups, sip-and-shops, etc.)
- Your name and/or business on the special Patrons page of our website
- 6 yards of authentic, Ghanaian kente cloth specially handwoven for you by Ashanti artisans
- A tree planted and dedicated to you in Ada, Ghana
- The satisfaction of knowing that you helped an amazing black-owned business to provide jobs for people in underserved communities! (NOW THIS IS PRICELESS)