When it comes to the idea of “nonprofit,” I have always found the “non” is the easiest part of that equation. A unique nonprofit retailer in downtown Lawrence indeed has found the “profit” is hard to come by, and is closing by the end of January.

The retailer Ten Thousand Villages is closing its store at 835 Massachusetts after about four years in business.

“It is just very expensive to operate downtown,” said Scott Stutler, store manager. “We just weren’t making enough to support the business operations down here.”

The closing will create more than just a vacant space in downtown Lawrence’s retail scene. The closing also is a hit to the fair trade movement in Lawrence. In case you have forgotten, Ten Thousand Villages is unique because it is a certified Fair Trade Retailer. That means it carries only goods that have been produced in a way that allows them to be labeled as fair trade friendly. Those requirements include that the people who produce the product are paid a fair living wage, work in safe conditions, and that no free or child labor is used in the production of the product.

Promoting the idea of fair trade really was the overriding mission of the store. The business was set up as a nonprofit entity and is governed by a local board of directors, Stutler said. The organization will remain active, and will continue to promote the importance of fair trade, but without the store it will lose one of its most visible selling points.

However, the good news is that more Lawrence shoppers are aware of fair trade than before the store opened, Stutler said. He said the idea has spread to other shops as well. The Merc carries items that meet the fair trade definition. So does the downtown store Third Planet, as well as a few other retailers.

Lawrence’s Ten Thousand Villages store worked with about 40 artisans, mainly from Third World countries in Africa and South America. Stutler said it is important for the public to know that none of those artisans will get left holding the bag as a result of the sale. The store pays for all its items upfront, so the artisans aren’t owed any money by the store.

“We are sad for our artisans, though,” said Shannon VanLandingham, a part-time employee at the store and one of about 50 volunteers for the local nonprofit.

In terms of the types of products you can find at the store, they are varied. Chocolate and coffee, however, are among the largest sellers, in part because the public has begun to learn how brutal the working conditions can be in the coffee and chocolate industries, Stutler said. Other items include clothing, baskets, home decor and a lot of jewelry.

Stutler said the store doesn’t have any plans to reopen in another location in downtown. Instead, it is just focusing on selling its remaining inventory. The store will close when inventory levels become sufficiently depleted, but no later than the end of January, he said.

There also is a Ten Thousand Villages store in downtown Overland Park. It will remain open. It is run by a separate nonprofit board, Stutler said.

In other news and notes from around town:

• Some of you may have noticed there is a “for lease” sign in front of the sporting goods retailer Jock’s Nitch at 1116 W. 23rd St. That is not an indication that the company is closing down its Lawrence store, but it indeed may move.

Jock’s Nitch executive Ryan Owens told me the landlord of the 23rd Street building — which is just a bit east of 23rd and Naismith — has an interest in subdividing the space. Owens said Jock’s Nitch is still determining whether it wants to be part of the reconfigured space or whether it wants to find a new location.

Owens, though, said business remains good, and the company — which also has a store in downtown — remains committed to the Lawrence market. The sporting goods store, which stocks a lot of apparel, does strong business in the uniform market, selling to many area high schools and other teams.