April 17, 2009, SAN DIEGO, CA.

"This isn’t the end of consumerism, but the birth of shopping with purpose."

The economy is in the tank, retailers are describing continued abysmal sales projections, but the owners of coolplanetstore.com say that this is not the end of consumerism, but the birth of shopping with purpose. ”Our economic woes have given us all a big wake up call. Most of us can’t just go out and spend money collecting useless items that do no more than clutter our homes or add to our over-stuffed landfills. Although, we will likely buy less and will make different choices that are affordable and more meaningful.” The challenge that coolplanetstore.com and other retailers face is balancing innovation, sustainability, recyclability, and renewability with affordability, quality, value, and style.” The exciting new website www.coolplanetstore.com, achieves that balance with a large and exciting variety of affordable, unique, luxurious, and eco-chic products. This new online, environmentally-focused store successfully combines function and style with products that allow customers to take part in the global effort to make catastrophic climate change implausible and not inevitable.

The husband and wife team of Dawn Taggett-Burton and Lorenzo Burton, founders and owners of the almost 1-year-old, eco-chic, online environmental store coolplanetstore.com, insist that they are not starry-eyed, pie-in-the-sky optimists, but have a firm footing in the reality-based world. What makes them so confident that we are not simply witnessing the flaming effigy of big department stores, hopeful mom and pop shops, and promising new internet start-ups? It’s simple they say. “We are a nation of consumers, and globally the consumer mentality has spread like an infection. However, our economic woes have given us all a big wake up call. This is not to say that people are going to stop buying altogether. Not at all. Many of us work hard to be successful and still want the material evidence of that success. Even if we don’t buy things for ourselves, we still have social obligations that require the exchange of gifts; we replace items as they break or become obsolete; and sometimes we just want to treat ourselves to something nice. What it does mean though is that people will likely buy less and will make different choices that are affordable and more meaningful."

The couple says that they are in a great place to benefit from the change in our buying habits. Coolplanetstore.com provides a wide range of contemporary, innovative, sustainable, and many one-of-a-kind products that are environmentally-friendly, socially-responsible, and high-quality. Their customers can shop with purpose, buying affordable, green and fair-trade products with prices ranging from about $5 for jewelry and body care products to about $250 for specialty solar products and designer handbags. The website offers free shipping on all purchases of $75 or more. In addition, coolplanetstore.com offers a variety of discounted products, coupons, and affordable gift ideas to help making shopping easy. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day just around the corner, coolplanetstore.com is ready with gifts that mom and dad will love.

At Cool Planet, "Live Green" isn't just a trademarked slogan, but a philosophy and they make it easy to do with a vast assortment of chic and unique products like hemp, candy wrapper, recycled tire, and recycled billboard bags, bamboo fiber and organic cotton clothing, robes, and towels, organic silk lingerie, solar electronics, recycled rubber sandals, certified organic and vegan beauty, hair, and body care products for men and women, fair-trade chocolate, trendsetting and vintage jewelry from post-consumer products, chemical- & cruelty-free hand woven alpaca wool products, and unique products for the home and pets.

“There are a million ways to make a difference in the world and people will make small, “greener” changes in their lives if businesses would make good alternatives available. We believe that most people are concerned about the negative impact on the environment and the catastrophe that will surely follow should we fail to heed natures warning signs and act more responsibly.” The couple realizes that times are hard for everyone, but that this is an opportunity to re-evaluate priorities and make choices that will benefit both the environment and the pocket book. “Nobody’s perfect. We, like most people aren’t living in a bamboo hut eating only what we grow, and recycling every scrap of plastic we find on the street. We realize that most people aren’t willing to live like the environmentalists who fill our imaginations with Birkenstocks and drawstring pants. No, most of us are willing to change, but that change has to fit within our lifestyle and sense of taste and style. We also know that our economy depends on consumerism and innovation just like our environment depends on our care, attention, and willingness to commit to change. If we’re going to consume anyway, why not consume products that limit the exploitation of our fragile environment, provide us with a more healthful living, and allow us to do good in the process? Nah, this isn’t the end of consumerism, but perhaps an exciting new beginning.”

Cool Planet was at the 20th Annual EarthFair at Balboa Park in San Diego on April 19, 2009. The owners of coolplanetstore.com displayed a unique product arrangement called “Green Cuisine” which features a variety of natural, vegan, and certified organic fruit-, herb-, and spice-scented body care products assembled to mimic the ingredients of some of your favorite feel-good foods. They also featured their “La Cuisine” natural hand soap formulated in Provence France to remove stubborn food odors (like garlic and onions) from the hands. In addition, they previewed one of Europe’s hottest eco-friendly, luxury lingerie lines called “Eco-Boudoir” now aailable at coolplanetstore.com, as well as a vast assortment of other great products ranging from jewelry made from post-consumer products to solar electronics. 

Company Information:
Dianesa International LLC, dba Cool Planet, Live Green™
Media Contact: Dawn Taggett-Burton; Available for comment: Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm.
PO Box 3970
San Diego, CA 92163
Phone: 619-792-7972, Fax: 619-228-9946
Office hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm
Email: media@coolplanetstore.com
website: www.coolplanetstore.com