Amazon just announced Handmade, the new marketplace section where artisans can sell their handmade products.
The e-seller said that the portal will offer over 80,000 handcrafted items from over 60 countries to its clients. Although it was almost self-implied, a great plus comes from the possibility of obtaining personalized items from craftsmen.
April Lane, Amazon's category leader for Handmade confirmed that the section currently features only six categories: Home Décor, Kitchen and Dining, Furniture, Artwork, Stationery, Jewelry and Party Supplies. Lane pointed out that her company aims to expand the number of categories very soon.
Another way to filter the products is by country-of-origin or by state, if you're looking for something made in the U.S. Once on the artisan's page, buyers can read how the crafty people get their inspiration and what modus operandi do they employ when creating the goods.
Amazon is on a quest to offer buyers more than just mass produced, affordable products that are reviewed by their peers. In March, the largest Internet shop announced Amazon Exclusives, a place where clients find niche, unique products. Amazon Elements is another initiative of the company that aims to satisfy the need for "ethical" goods. The digital commerce giant even opened an art-gallery type of service, where painters, illustrators and photographers can sell their art pieces.
One online retailer that has reasons to worry is Etsy, a small e-commerce shop with 10 years of experience selling handcrafted goods. For good measure, Amazon boasts that it has 280 million shoppers, while Etsy barely counts 21 million. The Etsy artist community might suddenly realize the practical advantages of reaching a wider array of clients, and switch to Amazon's Handmade.
"For Etsy, this is a big problem," Wedbush analyst Gil Luria said.
Etsy listed itself back in April, and its shares dimmed by 50 percent over the past months.
Amazon takes 15 percent out of the price of goods sold through Handmade, and that might seem much compared to the 3.5 percent that Etsy claims. However, the exposure could compensate for the taxing discrepancy.
Darla Garfield, 37, is a jewelry artisan based in New Plymouth, Idaho. She started selling on Etsy in 2010, under the store name Sheekydoodle.
"I love the handmade idea, and just strictly handmade," she declared. "That's what made Etsy beautiful when I joined five years ago," she added after pointing out that selling on Handmade will work in parallel with her Etsy account.
