John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, hand delivered a package of socks to Parcels, the store operated by the Northeast Arc. Parcels and John’s Crazy Socks are a match made in heaven as both the store and John’s business have a mission to show what people with differing abilities can do and to promote entrepreneurism for people with differing abilities.
“Parcels is a wonderful store,” said John, “I am so glad they are carrying our socks. They are helping us spread happiness.”
During his visit, John handed out gift packages to customers, spoke to reporters and met with the leadership of the Northeast Arc to discuss future collaborations.
Tim Brown, Director of Innovation and Strategy for the Northeast Arc, said, “We are happy to carry John’s socks and glad we can work together on our shared mission.”
Mark X. Cronin, John’s cofounder and father said, “Parcels is a showcase for the talents of people with differing abilities. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Northeast Arc, which is lighting the way for so many other organizations in this country.”
Parcels: A Store with a Mission
A shining star within the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, Massachusetts, Parcels sells a vast array of products all made by, or produced by businesses owned by people with disabilities or autism. Created by the Northeast Arc, Parcels offers products from over 70 individual artists and social enterprises from around the globe all in celebration of entrepreneurs with a differing ability.
Jo Ann Simons, CEO and president of Northeast Arc, said one of the main goals of opening a store in the Liberty Tree Mall location was to show that people with differing abilities should be in the mainstream of our communities and society. “We want it so that people with disabilities are not segregated to ‘this is their space and that’s our space,’” she said. “There’s a collective our space.”
Now Available: John’s Crazy Socks in Retail Stores!
At John’s Crazy Socks, our mission has always been to bring joy through fun, colorful socks and meaningful connections with our customers. Since we started in 2016, we’ve been all about reaching people directly through our online store. By 2020, we expanded, creating custom socks and unique gift options for businesses, plus special fundraising opportunities for nonprofits. Now, we’re thrilled to share that John’s Crazy Socks are available in retail stores, too! This expansion means more people can join in our journey of spreading happiness and celebrating differences.
“We have a mission to spread happiness. The more customers we reach, the more happiness we create,” says our co-founder, John Cronin.
His father and partner, Mark X. Cronin, added, “Helping retail stores carry our products allows us to connect with even more people who love our socks and our mission. Every sock sold supports jobs for people with differing abilities—over half of our team has a differing ability—and strengthens our Giving Back Program. We’ve donated over $800,000 to charity partners, like the Special Olympics. When people wear our socks, they spread happiness!”
Exciting Retail Collections
We’re especially excited to introduce our exclusive J’s Collection in stores! This collection includes our well-loved Awareness Socks, which celebrate causes like Down syndrome, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy. Each sale supports vital charities, such as the National Down Syndrome Society, the Autism Society of America, and United Cerebral Palsy.
“Our socks make a difference,” says John. “That’s what makes our customers so happy.”
Mark echoes this, adding, “Our customers tell us that just putting on our socks makes them feel good all day long!”
Are you a retail store owner? We’d love for you to bring a little happiness to your customers. Visit the wholesale page at our website to learn more and join us in our mission.
The Northeast Arc
The Northeast Arc’s mission is dedicated to providing lifelong, individualized support to people with, or at risk of developing, disabilities and their families, ensuring opportunities to choose and to realize their goals of where and how they learn, live, work, socialize and play.
The Northeast Arc’s demographic area and service scope have expanded significantly over nearly half a century. The Arc serves individuals with developmental- and other- disabilities, in over 100 communities across northeastern Massachusetts (including Boston and Worcester).
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $800,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
