The owners of Hobart eco-store Teros are stepping back after 12 years and searching for someone new to take over the business.
Ahmet Bektas and Melinda Lambourne opened the Elizabeth Street store in 2014 after years working overseas in development and environmental projects.
The pair said health and personal reasons were behind the decision to move on.
“We’ve got to a stage where time with our elderly parents as well as our own health is becoming important,” Bektas told Pulse.
“But it’s also the stage of the business where we’ve got a great stable base of customers and it may be a great time for fresh leadership to take it to the next chapter.”
Teros started with a narrow range because sustainable and ethically produced products were harder to find at the time.
It has grown to cover gardening supplies, Tasmanian-grown organic seeds, plastic-free body care, e-bikes and reusable household items.
Bektas said the number of producers meeting their sustainability criteria had “just grown and grown” over the years, allowing the store to bring in more locally made products.
Tasmanian-grown seeds and plastic-free body care products such as shampoo bars and deodorants have been among the store’s consistent bestsellers.
Bektas said they were talking to a couple of people who had expressed initial interest in buying the business but were open to other options.
“The key thing for us is alignment of values,” Bektas said.
“There’s now just so many more young people who are concerned about the direction of the planet and taking action to help improve that.”
The business has contributed to the purchase of conservation properties through the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and supported groups including the Bob Brown Foundation and the Environment Defenders Office.
Bektas said closing the store would be a worst-case scenario.
The store remains open while the search continues and anyone interested can contact the owners through the business.
