If you work out of the RTP or San Jose offices, chaces are have seen the Cisco Store in a café on campus. You may have admired a cool graphic t-shirt on display in the window, purchased a gift for a coworker, or even taken a tour of the Connected Cisco Store in San Jose. Despite this, many people don’t realize that the Cisco Store mirrors Cisco’s brand and values in more ways than one, particularly by embracing the value of giving back. From the merchandise itself to charitable donation opportunities, the Cisco Store prioritizes making a positive impact on the environment and local community. 

Merchandise

The Cisco Store cares about reducing their impact on the environment, and that's why they partner with Bella + Canvas, a company known for their humane work environment and consciousness of their impact on the environment. In fact, they actually dye their t-shirts with seven times less water than the average clothing manufacturer, and some of their facilities are operated on solar power. The Cisco Store also partners with Stanley Stella to produce more authentic and more responsible clothes that you are proud to wear, such as pieces that initiate change in the textile industry, made in a more humane, ethical, and ecological way.

The store also sells several pieces of merchandise that are designed with sustainability in mind. For example, the Parkland Kingston Backpack and  Parkland Westport Backpack are made with 100% recycled water bottles, helping to combat the environmental damage caused by single-use plastics. Additionally, through a partnership with 1% for the Planet, 1 percent of the sales from these backpacks are donated to nonprofits dedicated to protecting the planet. The Cafa© Pen is also a sustainable product, made from coffee grounds that would otherwise end up in landfill. Worldwide, we produce 55 million tons of coffee grounds each year. This pen provides smooth writing with the added benefit of eliminating unnecessary waste for the planet (and yes, it also smells like coffee)!

Charitable donations

Cisco Live is also a time that provides a huge opportunity for the Cisco Store to impact local communities. At Cisco Live United States 2019 in San Diego, California, customers were invited to contribute to Feeding San Diego through various methods. Customers rounded up donations at the cash wrap and through the purchase of special items, including Cisco Bombas socks where every pair sold contributed to another pair donated to someone in need in the local community. In total, during the six days of CLUS, the Cisco Store was able to raise enough funds to provide 13,296 meals to those in need. At Cisco Live Europe 2020 in Barcelona the focus was on making a positive environmental impact. Attendees had the opportunity to make charitable donations with their purchases towards World Land Trust, a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of plants, animals, and natural communities. This year, for the first ever virtual Cisco Live US event, the Cisco Store will be offering online round up donations towards Mercy Corp. Mercy Corp is working to help the world’s most vulnerable people protect against COVID-19. Learn more about Cisco Store virtual events here.

Shopping in-store or online also provides customers the opportunity to impact the community. At the physical store locations in RTP or San Jose, customers have the opportunity to roundup their purchases at check-out to donate to a non-profit organization called Kiva. Kiva is non-profit organization with the goal of expanding financial access to help underserved communities thrive. Online, shoppers also have the opportunity to make a charitable donation with their purchases. After the Cisco Live US event, the Cisco Store will be offering round up donations towards WHO, the World Health Organization that is leading global COVID-19 response efforts. 

The Cisco Store also partners with various programs throughout Cisco for philanthropy opportunities. Most recently, the Cisco Store partnered with the Live from Home program, a weekly concert series jointly held by Webex and AppDynamics. The series raises funds for art charities with Cisco matching donations and helps artists in need with weekly themed performances. To support the chosen charities, the Cisco Store offered free shipping on all orders and donated all store profits from the day of the event towards the artists.

Giving back has been an essential pillar to Cisco’s brand values and as an extension of the brand, the Cisco Store will continue to reflect these values and embrace these opportunities in all aspects of the program.

Visit the Cisco Store website for 24/7 Cisco merchandise shopping, and don’t forget to log in if you are a Cisco employee to receive your discount!