Koko: Sustainable Living Shop + Refillery

Koko is a sustainable living shop and refillery with locations in Columbus, Denver, Lexington, Louisville, and coming soon, Cincinnati. 

The company was founded by Jamie Fairman and Adria Hall. The unique name originated from a Finnish word that translates as “full.” This translation serves as a nod to Fairman’s heritage and their strategy to create refilleries where customers can full and refill over and over. Hall and Fairman originally had the idea when they noticed a lack of convenient resources needed to live a sustainable lifestyle. 

“People are starting to consider the impacts of their purchases on the planet and the humans that live on it,” says Hall. “But there still isn’t enough access to sustainable products – especially locally – to enable consumers to make better choices. That’s the motivation behind Koko.” 

At the heart of Koko is the refillery – a bar of toiletries and cleaning supplies in bulk that you can “fill up” from over and over again, giving customers the opportunity to reduce their plastic waste. “In our shops, we will offer a bottle bar of glass and metal bottles and pumps and jars. Customers are also welcome to bring in their own containers to be filled,” says Fairman and Hall. 

In addition to the refillery aspect, Koko offers a wide selection of sustainable living goods. For a full display of Koko’s products, you can visit their website at https://kokotheshop.com/. Each product at Koko is unique in three unique ways: 

Not only does Koko have three unique aspects to their products, they also have four foundational beliefs. “We believe that sustainability is for everyone, should not be boring, isn’t one-size-fits-all, and is approachable,” says Fairman and Hall. “Less waste is the goal, but the journey will look different for everyone. We welcome all people of Cincinnati and the surrounding areas to shop and learn with us along the way.” 

While Koko is well-known in the surrounding areas, so is their sister brand, Forage. “Forage is an interior plat shop and community for plant people,” says founders Hall and Fairman. “We want to create a space where plants and people can thrive. What started out as a house-turned-storefront has turned into storefronts all over our area. The idea for Koko originated from our desire to expand our products for Forage.”

At Koko, the products are clean, purpose is strong, and experience is fun. “We try to make it (the shopping experience) fun,” says Fairman and Hall. “Our Koko team members are extremely knowledgeable about the products and sustainability. They seem to always be answering questions, making product recommendations and helping customers fill up.”

To shop at Koko, you can visit their website at https://kokotheshop.com/ or visit on of their locations. Koko Cincinnati will be coming to 318 W. Fourth Street soon. You can also follow along on their Instagram. 

To shop Forage, you can visit their website at https://forageplants.com/ or visit one of their locations. You can also follow along on their Instagram.