Business of the Month: Global Table, 107 Sullivan Street

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Mindless consumerism may not lead to happiness; but the mindful kind can help. We know, for instance, few minor joys more reliable than that of having porridge in the morning from a beautifully designed bowl as the pigeons coo off in the distance in harmony with the blare of emergency vehicles. Our December Business of the Month, Global Table (107 Sullivan Street, btw. Prince and Spring Streets), has kept such daily pleasures within reach for almost thirty years, by offering an exquisitely curated selection of affordable tableware from all over the world. A visit to the store rewards customers with the thrill of discovering elegant ways marrying form and function, and with the satisfaction of improving the aesthetic profile of their dining area.

Natalie Smith launched Global Table in 1996 and ran the store alongside a few devoted employees for several decades. She hewed throughout to her initial concept for the store. Global Table sold well-designed, well-made, and often handmade items for the table—everything from coasters and vases to bowls and spoons—from small producers world over, be they traditional craftsmen in Thailand or artists in Brooklyn. Its selection was eclectic and revolving, so that visitors would always encounter something new. 

Global Table’s approach proved a success, gradually earning it a loyal following, especially among local residents, businesses, and workers. One of its early followers was Tracy David, who at the time lived in the Village and worked in SoHo. As a designer, she appreciated the beauty of the store’s products. As a recent college graduate, she appreciated their prices, especially given their quality and the location of the shop.

As the years went by, Global Table became Tracy’s favorite retail destination, and her cupboard became almost a mini-Global Table outpost, with contents as eclectic as the store’s. So she did not welcome the news, a couple of years ago, that Natalie, likely worn down from keeping her business afloat during the pandemic, had decided to either shut down or sell Global Table. At the time, Tracy was working in marketing, was eager for a change, and relished the thought of being self-employed selling products that she loved. So, despite a lack of experience in retail, she decided to step up and take over the store. 

Tracy knew better than to mess with a winning formula, especially when 50% of her business came from returning shoppers. But she also felt little urge to do so, regarding the curation of the inventory as the store’s biggest asset. Instead, Tracy set out to build on the shop’s eclecticism, expanding Global Table’s stable of suppliers, especially local ones, and even adding a few vintage items to the mix. These additions have both enhanced the variety of designs on offer and complemented in their own way the sustainable ethos observed by the makers of many of the store’s products. 

To most visitors, the “new” Global Table will look just like the old one, but more. The bigger areas of change are happening in the back-end and would escape the notice of even seasoned customers. They involve a greatly expanded online presence and operation, both of which Tracy identified as areas of growth. Ultimately, however, Tracy realizes that Global Table is a creature of the neighborhood. It’s of a kind with the other decades-old, small, unique stores that, along with neighborhood shops, make up the Sullivan and Thompson Street retail corridors and help give the area the intimate feeling of a small town (see here, here, here, here, and here). She also knows that the pleasures of shopping at Global Table are bound up with the experience of a visit: the walk through a little street redolent of old New York and worlds removed from the glitz to the east and the bustle to the west; the treasure hunt upon entering the store; and the discussion of that hunt with a friendly, familiar face. This joyful experience once made a frequent visitor out of Tracy. She now enjoys sharing in the delight that it brings those that it lures in. 

I love talking to people when they come to the store. They’re in such a good mood. We never have someone who’s upset. And they love to talk. It’s really nice to meet people and understand what they like and why they’ve been shopping at the store for so long. People even like to come in just to chat. We have a chair in the register area. And they sit there, and they stay, and they talk. And that’s nice! It’s lovely! 

For its decades bringing beauty from throughout the world into our homes and contributing to the home-like charm of our streets, we are thrilled to name Global Table our December 2024 Business of the Month. 

What special small business would you like to see featured next? Just click here to nominate our next one. Thank you! #shoplocalnyc

Here is a map of all our Businesses of the Month: