Michaels has announced a new online platform that will specialize in selling handmade goods. At the time of its launch, it offers hundreds of thousands of products, as well as services for beginners, hobbyists, and aspiring professionals.
The project operates under the MakerPlace by Michaels brand. The platform will not only offer unique items but also sell classes led by real artists. The project will also have its own e-commerce system, located on a separate web page from Michaels’ main site.
Michaels is pursuing a new direction after launching a separate e-commerce marketplace for large sellers of craft supplies, components and decor in early 2023. The main goal of the project is to lower the barrier to entry for artists and help them make more money from sales. Ads are placed on the platform for free.
MakerPlace offers two levels of membership – basic and professional. The free basic membership comes with a 4% referral commission, while the professional membership comes with a 2% referral commission.
“Our research found that nearly three in four makers believe there’s a void in the online marketplace landscape today, and that existing platforms come with pain points like high upfront costs, increasing fees for product listings and competition with an overflow of mass-produced goods,” Heather Bennett, Michaels’ executive vice president of marketing and e-commerce, said in an announcement. “MakerPlace by Michaels was designed in direct response to these challenges with the goal of helping handmade artists and makers succeed.”
