A new e-commerce platform is giving B.C. and Vancouver Island-based artisans a chance to extend their consumer base.
The Makers is a new online platform that launched in December. Based on Vancouver Island, the site sells jewelry, clothing and other handmade goods produced by B.C.-based artisans and craftspeople.
The website currently features nearly 1,500 items produced by 140 artisans. Set up like eBay or Amazon, shopthemakers.com allows shoppers to select what they’d like to purchase and have it shipped directly to their homes.
Site co-founder Kristy Davis said it provides local artisans the chance to reach potential buyers across Canada and even the United States.
“Certainly, these makers do very well in the local markets, but there’s always an opportunity to bring their products to more consumers, for their brands to build, and have a farther reach in terms of sales,” she said.
“[The idea] started on Vancouver Island and was inspired by the number of amazing artisans and small brands on the Island.”
Five Comox Valley artisans are currently selling their products on the site. These include RK Designs Jewelry, Bough & Antler Northwest Goods, Grassroots Design, Pressed Princess Chewllery and Snowy Tree Design.
Darya Mohler, the owner and artisan behind Grassroots Design — a handmade jewelry company based out of the Valley — said her experience since affiliating with The Makers has been positive.
“I’ve had numerous people contacting me, sometimes for custom orders as well. And my sales have been good so far,” she said.
Davis says that until Feb. 14, The Makers is pledging to donate five per cent of revenue from every purchase made to local charities related to addressing homelessness.