Charting a Compassionate Course: Cocorose London's 2024 Aspirations

Hello Cocorosers,

 And just like that, March has arrived. The start of spring; longer, brighter and warmer days; and the promise of a renewed energy and sense of motivation. Yes, we made it through another winter.

As I breathe deep and take in the blossoming flowers and budding trees, I'm inspired to pursue 2024 with renewed vigour and embrace new opportunities.

I'm therefore revisiting what I had originally jotted down and set for Cocorose London in our 2024 Aspirations and now seems like the opportune time to share this vision with you too.

This year will mark our 17^th year in business. Our rollercoaster of a journey has seen us navigate  our way through an increasingly challenging landscape but 17 years on, here we are, with the most loyal and supportive of a community; with beautifully handcrafted, purpose-driven products; and contributing and thriving on responsibility and compassion.

Largely, 2024 will continue to build on all the good work that we did in 2023. Our commitment to sustainability, community and meaningful growth remains unwavering and I have focused on these three pillars for 2024. Yes, we are a footwear brand – but we are so much more than just that. And I know, from the many conversations that Gareth and I have with so many of you, that the ‘more’ really matters.

Sustainability

Our commitment to sustainability starts with our ethos of engaging in only small-batch production. Not only does it add an element of exclusivity to our offerings, but it also exemplifies our dedication to responsible manufacturing practices, addressing the issue of overproduction and excess inventory in the industry.

Our product range is beautifully packaged in recycled and recyclable packaging and presentation boxes. At the end of life, our customers have the opportunity to return their pre-loved Cocorose shoes and have them recycled in return for Rosebud loyalty points, through our Recycle scheme. We also operate a plant-a-tree scheme with every order placed.

We've always been passionate about crafting with quality leathers and carefully source leathers for our Leather Flats and Leather Trainers. A by-product of the food industry, leather is natural, biodegradable and incredibly durable and long-lasting.

Alongside this, 2023 saw us devote significant time to researching planet-friendly, plant-based leathers, which would dovetail with vegan lifestyles. This led to the launch of our ‘Kew’ range of organic cactus-leather trainers in December.

The use of this material within British footwear is innovative, groundbreaking and a watershed within footwear production. By successfully using the somewhat challenging material of cactus leather, we are supporting one of the planet’s super-hero plants –with cacti plantations acting as natural carbon sinks and 14 acres of cacti plants able to absorb 8000 tons of carbon. Cacti also naturally regenerate the soil around them and are water efficient and drought resistant.

2024 will see us further develop our Kew collection, with Phase Two currently in production.

In the spirit of innovation and building on the success of our Kew range, we will continue our foray into exploring plant and bio-based materials, such as apple leathers and bamboo fibre and corn-based vegan materials.

Community

In 2024, our partnership with The Honeypot Children's Charity continues to be a cornerstone of our social responsibility efforts. Joining our Honeypot Collection this year will be our new and very pretty Hoxton Rose Gold Rainbow trainer – a little sister to our Hoxton Rainbow trainer – symbolising hope and inclusivity and helping to raise further funds for young carers. We love working with The Honeypot team and look forward to building a stronger and closer bond together.

2024 will also see us extend our partnership support programme to Lunar Eclipse, a company dedicated to promoting social inclusion, especially for individuals with autism, through their transformative sessions centred around equine facilitated learning.

Their engaging activities promote personal growth, social skills and emotional regulation, welcoming people of all ages and reaching schools and care homes alike.

Our commitment to the local community remains unwavering. I recently came across an initiative set up by our local council that works to connect local businesses with internship programmes set up for young residents who have a learning disability and/or autism and who are keen to move into paid employment. We are currently in very early stage discussions but let’s watch this space.

In the meantime, we will continue to actively collaborate with our local council, local schools, organisations and community projects to deepen our engagement, contribute to positive change and make a meaningful impact on individuals and communities.

Growth

Whilst financial prosperity remains fundamental to running a business, we recognise that true growth extends beyond monetary gains. We hope to reach more customers and share our message of happiness and confidence, whether through word of mouth, Googling, social media or another avenue.

On this note, may I take a moment to say that we appreciate all orders placed with us and thank you so much in advance for your support. If you are unable to purchase today, please know that you can help in so many ways by signing up to our newsletter, following us on social media, dropping a like and/or comment, writing a review and helping us to spread the word about our wonderful brand. We appreciate all gestures, no matter how big or small it may seem to you. To us, every little helps.

And finally, it feels right to say that since I founded the business in 2007, Gareth and I have self-funded and boot-strapped our way, carving out the path that has always felt right to us, rather than having to answer to a VC or board of investors. As we have continued to hone our vision and find our niche, the time feels right to start preparing ourselves for external funding to explore the future ahead. I don't know what this means in terms of timelines but as the saying goes, by just writing down a goal, you’re already committed and more than half way to achieving it. So let's test this out and see what happens!

And so we have it. Our 2024 Aspirations; our vision of sustainable, socially responsible and flourishing growth. Together with You, our Cocorosers, we look forward to taking further meaningful strides towards a better world. I hope you'll join us on this exciting journey as we venture through 2024 and beyond.