Online market lifeline for F& B producers

Maker2u, the online farmers market, which launched on 23rd March, is providing much needed new sales to artisan food and beverage producers that had other sales channels collapse with Covid-19. The farmers market has more than 220 stores from small producers of food, drinks and other goods, and it’s free for approved makers to set up a store. Shoppers buy direct from the maker and goods are sent by courier.

Maker2u.com was created by Canterbury couple Hamish and Suzy Hutton to help friends with small businesses get more of the final retail price of their products than they were getting from the supermarket duopoly.

“It took two years to build maker2u. com and Maker2ucellar.com," says Hamish. "We were planning to launch mid-2020, but with Covid-19 hitting our makers’ exports and hospitality sales so hard, we threw everything into launching as soon as possible.

“We felt it was unethical to profit from the Covid crisis," adds Suzy,

"so we’ve reduced the marketplace commission to 10 percent, which only covers the credit card fees and costs of operation."

The marketplace is split into Maker2u.com, for New Zealand-made artisan food, health and beauty and other groceries; and Maker2ucellar. com, a licensed seller of boutique wines, craft beers, cider, artisan spirits and other drinks. Everything must be made in New Zealand and all makers receive 90 percent of the price with no cost of sale.

The Maker2u team is excited about the future post-covid-19. In the long run they’re also planning to open the platform up to export orders from target markets offshore.