Brand of the Month: Compendium.

We're so excited to bring you closer and help you get to know our brand of the month, Compendium. 

The assortment from compendium is one we're so happy to be able to offer at Aldea, as it is unlike anything else we have curated in our collection before.

In the meantime, here's a recent chat we had with Compendium....

What makes Compendium the best at what you do?

Each day offers us countless little moments, some are marked by milestones while others are filled with life’s routines. The truth is, every moment has the potential to be deeply meaningful when we live with intention. At Compendium, we want to honor those everyday occasions and the people we share them with. Each item we make is created with a relationship in mind—whether it is the one you share with a parent, a friend, a teacher, or yourself. We see a greeting card as an invitation to connect with a loved one, a children’s book as an opportunity to inspire a young reader, and a journal as a chance to listen to your heart. Every word and every design is chosen with these values in mind, and we hope customers can feel the care and consideration we put into each product. 

Relationships are also what transform an item into a meaningful gift, so we place a high value on the relationships we get to have with our sales reps, buyers, store owners, vendors, customers, and coworkers. For us, people are at the heart of what it means to “live inspired.”

Why do you partner with small stores?

At the core, small business is about community. It is about knowing the needs of your neighbors and finding creative and relevant ways to be a part of their lives. Small stores add so much to the character of a place so it’s an honor for us to be able to be a part of the local fabric through our partnerships. Plus, there is so much inspiring creativity that comes out of small stores. They have the power to set their own displays, which leads to such rich storytelling at retail. We love that our products can amplify a merchandising story about friendship, or intentional living, or play! It’s amazing to see what grows out of a store’s commitment to helping their community thrive. 

How has this year impacted your business? 

We are a small business that largely partners with other small and midsize businesses to share our products with the world. So, as retail shops felt the pains of the pandemic, so did we. But this time has also given us great opportunities to create even more programs to support our partners. We’ve given free products to stores to help increase their profit margins during these challenging times. We’ve restructured our volume discounts to make it easier for retailers to stay in stock with customer favorites, and we’ve continued to offer $5 flat-rate shipping, despite rising costs. More than anything, this year has highlighted how important it is to support one another, connect with loved ones, and celebrate the human spirit—which is what our company and our products are all about!

Where do you think retail is going?

The last year has really shined a spotlight on the importance of shopping small. Even while doors were closed retailers have done such a great job finding new ways to meet people where they are by taking business online—from providing virtual personal shopping experiences to hosting Facebook live events. Those kinds of innovations aren’t going anywhere and are giving people even more ways to feel connected to one another, which is really vital, not just for the retail climate but for overall well-being too.