New Store In Downtown Fairfield Focusing On Sustainability

FAIRFIELD, CT — His dreams of helping to heal the planet — and to center that initiative in his hometown — are coming true.

Brad Kerner, aka Eco Dude, recently signed a six-month lease on two adjacent stores at 43 and 45 Unquowa Road, just north of the Post Road, for his business.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “It’s exciting to be in my hometown.”

Kerner, a longtime Fairfield resident, created an online virtual marketplace called Eco Evolution that has assembled a bevvy of sustainable and conscientious vendors in one place.

At the same time, he has been searching for an in-person location to assemble vendors that are like-minded in their pursuit of producing products with low or no impact on the environment, and that are sustainable and local.

“They have to live in Connecticut,” he said, though about one-half of them are actually right in Fairfield.

“Whatever products they make must be good for people — no toxins, no chemicals,” he said. “They’re not all using up-cycled or recycled materials, but it’s more about not creating more trash.”

Earlier this summer, Kerner won a competition held by the real estate company AGW Partners, which gave him a free short-team lease on a commercial space in a historic building at 135 Washington St. in South Norwalk.

Due to his success there, Kerner has now committed long-term and hopes the same thing might happen in Fairfield.

"This is a six-month pop-up that could turn into a long-term thing," he said, with tentative hours to be determined in the next week or so, but likely to be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with later Saturday hours.

Like the Norwalk store, he envisions his new space as one that will not just offer useful products, but that will also be a fun gathering place for people.

“We don’t want everyone to feel that going low-waste has to be boring,” he said.

Kerner intends to offer various event opportunities, like wine tastings, product samplings and even mini dance parties. At the same time, visitors will see a range of interesting products for sale.

“There’s jewelry, candles, fine arts, paintings, handmade soaps. … We have someone who makes bags out of plastic — Susan Silver — she crochets them,” he said, noting that his vendors are better described as creators and makers, rather than just artists.

Kerner is pleased that his shop will be open through the holidays, with the lease running until January, giving people a chance to shop local.

“When someone buys a gift here, it’s one less gift bought on Amazon,” he said.

Kerner would ultimately like to see a permanent place in Fairfield — either at his current lease or another location. In the meantime, he said this represents a perfect opportunity to weigh the community’s interest.

“This is like the homecoming,” he said. “It’s nice to see my own community going eco-friendly and taking on products to reduce the waste in their homes.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/EcoEvolutionCo or www.ecoevolution.co.