WHO THE … ?

We are Jon and Karen, a husband and wife team who have been making our living on Salt Spring as artisans for nearly 2 decades. We started out selling our artwork and children’s clothing in the Saturday Market before moving into our own retail location in Ganges Alley. For the last 9 years we have been operating The Village Hive Goods + Apparel on Salt Spring Island, BC, selling our own handmade goods, as well as those made by many other talented Canadian artisans.

WHAT THE … ?

We are creating a new retail space in the heart of Ganges that is focused specifically on celebrating Canadian artisans and providing them with an opportunity to sell their goods in a way where they can keep 100% of their item’s selling price. That is why we are creating Makers Market, a retail location that truly celebrates artisans and helps them succeed.

WHY THE … ?

Whilst consignment and wholesale are excellent options for artisans to sell their goods, they receive only a portion of the item price. For some this model works well, but for other artisans the lower return is difficult to make work. Likewise, the Saturday market only runs for 30 days per year and online sales are dependent on marketing & advertising using tech platforms. At Makers Market, vendors pay a flat, tiered monthly fee to rent their own display space in the store and receive 100% of the amount they sold. No need for artisans to take time away from making and living their best life – we take care of every shift, every sale, and every customer.

We are proud members of the artisan world — crafting and selling our goods has been our livelihood for well over a decade. We have sold at weekly markets, travelled across Canada to sell at craft shows, sold our products in stores as well as online. We’ve found our sweet spot — retail environments using this model are where we succeed the most.That is why we are so excited to bring Makers Market to Salt Spring Island!

HOW THE … ?

Makers Market will operate by charging a small fee on each transaction, which, along with the monthly display fee, will cover rent, staffing, utilities, insurance, promotion etc. We will add this fee on top of the artisan’s product price at the counter so that the artisan receives 100% of their sticker price.

FOR ARTISANS

Are you an artisan looking for a new way to sell your products? Maybe you sell at a market and would love a way to keep selling throughout the week and during non-market seasons? Are you looking for an alternative to wholesale and consignment relationships and want to keep 100% of your product price every time a piece is sold? If so, we have an opportunity for you!

Whether you’re a ceramicist, jeweller, woodworker, textile artist, herbalist, or creator of something wonderfully unique, this is your chance to be part of a new year‑round home for handmade goods on the island. Vendor spots will be limited so if you are interested in being one of the first to secure your place for the summer season, please visit our application page to apply!

With gratitude,

Jon + Karen