[6] The Company no longer has a London base after laying off most UK staff in 2023[7] amid financial trouble[8] but maintains an office in Tokyo.
[11] The People Tree business developed from Global Village, an environmental campaigning NGO founded by British born Safia Minney in Tokyo in 1991.
[17] Because it was difficult to find fair trade apparel products of a high enough quality for the Japanese market, Global Village started to do its own design in house.
[22] People Tree was working closely with textile artisan groups to help them meet environmental standards and develop their market potential, with two full-time designers.
In August 2023, People Tree Ltd laid off the majority of UK staff[8] amidst claims of financial problems and significant customer upset.
[8] CEO James Minney set out the problem in stark form:"We are figuring out what is the right way to go forward and how we can build up from this minimal base to restart"In September 2023, People Tree Ltd entered liquidation.