Amazon Just Launched its Etsy Killer Handmade
Hold onto your hand-stitched pillows and monogrammed tote bags Etsy lovers, there's a new craft site in town. On Thursday, Amazon launched Handmade, its long-anticipated e-commerce website selling artisan goods. The release announcing the new site said that with Handmade, Amazon "customers can discover artisans from around the world, and shop local from artisans based in their community with the familiar Amazon experience they know and trust.", The site promises goods categories that are similar to what Etsy offers jewelry, home decor, artwork, stationary and party supplies, kitchen and dining items, and furniture. The bar to become a Handmade seller appears to be high. Sellers must apply to Amazon and the company will vet their items to ensure they are made by hand. Etsy, which went public in March, has faced criticism recently for veering from its artisan roots and launching a program that paired craftsmen with manufacturers so sellers could produce more products. In its announcement Thursday, Amazon said that Handmade is "factory-free.", Handmade is launching with 5,000 sellers and more than 80,000 products, according to The Seattle Times. As of now more than 600 items on the site are Prime eligible, Amazon said, and it's adding more every day.