SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Aiming for customers that prefer goods made with a little love, Amazon has launched Handmade, an online market selling artisan goods from around the world.
The new venture from the e-commerce giant is a swipe at Etsy, the popular purveyor of small-batch goods.
Etsy, which went public in March at $3.5 billion valuation, will now be under intense pressure to compete with Amazon. Etsy shares have fallen sharply since the company's IPO in April amid rumors that Amazon would get into the business.
Amazon's Handmade store now has more than 80,000 items under seven categories such as jewelry, home decor, artwork, furniture, stationery, party supplies, kitchen and dining. There will be items from almost sixty countries. Customers can buy articles of various styles under the categories 'classic' to 'shabby chic' and can search by artisan locations.
Amazon said the customers can 'shop local from artisans based in their community with the familiar Amazon experience they know and trust.'
Each item at Handmade will be vetted by Amazon to make sure that it is a handwork and factory-free. Meanwhile, Etsy has been criticized for selling counterfeit goods.
Artisans can sell their handcrafted goods by applying to the Handmade site. The artisan's story and images will be included in the profile page for each product.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX