Etsy launches ‘Etsy Made Local’

Online marketplace for handmade goods and crafts Etsy is to host ‘Etsy Made Local’ shopping events in the run up to Christmas.

The shopping initiative will visit towns and cities across the UK during December including London, Bristol, Leeds, Brighton, Cardiff, Cambridge, Glasgow, Portsmouth, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Wimborne in Dorset.

The events aim to showcase local makers in the area, as well as to sell unique and handmade items for Christmas, and each showcase is being run by Etsy team members who have volunteered to host a market in their area, and exhibitors have been chosen by those Etsy teams to represent the best in local talent.

The initiative kicks off in London on December 4 with more than 50 local makers showcasing their handmade goods. The weekend event at The Vinyl Factory will also allow customers to get their gifts personalised, learn how to wrap like a pro at the Etsy wrapping station, as well as enjoy a coffee and a snack at the cafe.

Commenting on the event, Etsy community programmes manager, Susannah Bradley, said: “Shopping locally is a wonderful opportunity for shoppers to support the creative people their very own neighbourhoods. Christmas is often a time when we are focused on finding unique and meaningful gifts for our loved ones, but it is also a great opportunity to support the artists and designers in our local communities.”

The Christmas shopping events follows the success of the Etsy House pop-up shop that launched in London last year and featured more than 121 Etsy sellers and attracted more than 7,000 visitors over the three days.