Amazon.com Inc is launching a marketplace for handcrafted goods on October 8 that will allow customers to buy products made by artisans from more than 60 countries.
“We don't allow any mass manufacturing; we don't allow any factory-made products. All of these products have to be handmade and hand-manufactured,” Amazon Marketplace vice-president Peter Faricy told Reuters.
The “Handmade at Amazon” website will compete directly with sites like Etsy Inc, which made its name selling handmade goods.
A craft market will extend Amazon's role as a middleman for third-party vendors, which accounts for about 40 percent of its sales. It recently launched a platform allowing customers to buy 700 home services such as car maintenance, TV wall-mounting and house cleaning.
Over 600 handmade products will be eligible for shipping under Amazon's Prime shipping service.