HANDMADE HOUSE ADDS ONLINE SHOP
‘It has really streamlined everything and brought us into the 21st century’
After 50 years selling local art on Saskatoon’s Broadway Avenue, Handmade House now has a second home — on the World Wide Web.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the artist co-operative that represents around 80 artists from across the province went from a business without a computer to one with a fully functional online presence in just a few weeks, says Cindy Wright, one of the shop’s artisans and working members.
“Just at the turn of this year we got a new consignment till and it has really streamlined everything and brought us into the 21st century,” she said, laughing.
“And then when COVID hit there were a lot of decisions that needed to be made and one of them was to go online.
“And that was quite a significant change to go from handmade bills to the new computer system and then online.”
Wright adds that, without the pandemic acting as a catalyst, the online shop may not have happened — at least for a while.
“It really launched us into what we needed to do,” Wright said.
One of the most important aspects of creating the online shop was making sure the business could give customers a similar experience to shopping in-store.
Though online browsers can’t smell the cedar and beeswax that permeate the air of the Broadway location, the Handmade House team is focused on making sure the photography of each item makes it feel like you can pick it up and touch it.
“The key to being successful with online (sales) is having really good photographs,” Wright said. “We actually have an in-house photographer and she just has a simple little backdrop and is able to pull things together and stage them so beautifully.”
With the co-operative offering shipping to locations from British Columbia to Manitoba, it’s a great option for sending gifts to loved ones who may not have been able to make it to Saskatchewan during the pandemic.
Wright said the shop has most of its stock available to view and purchase on its website, with more items arriving all the time.
But transitioning to online sales hasn’t all been smooth sailing; because there are different members working in the shop each day, they have to be diligent about keeping stock updated so as to not sell oneof-a-kind pieces twice.
If online shopping isn’t your thing, Handmade Home’s gallery-style storefront is still open Wednesdays through Saturdays. Wright says the space has been quieter than usual this year, given the pandemic.
“This should be our high season so we are feeling it,” she said. “Usually we have a lot of tourists during the summer, but we are fortunate that the locals see a benefit of (supporting) local to Saskatoon and Saskatchewan ... more people are coming in and appreciating our
products — knowing that if they are going to come in and buy a gift, that it’s made with love.”
The local support extended to the co-operative’s landlord, Jana Ellis from Bill’s House of Flowers. Ellis gave the business a break on rent while shops were closed during the pandemic, allowing members to make the pivot to online sales without as much stress.
Now that Handmade House is back up and running in-store as well as online, Wright says the co-operative is always looking for new artists interested in selling work on consignment.
As an artist herself, she says showcasing and selling her work in the shop has not only been a financial boost, but also a creative one.
“I love walking in here to know I am part of a bigger picture,” she said.
“Artists are generally very solo as we produce our work so stepping into this store and being surrounded by such skill and creativity is just energizing — and I think a lot of people pick up on that and get excited when they walk in here.”