Amazon Handmade is the marketplace giant’s answer to Etsy. Though many people haven’t heard about Amazon Handmade, it’s been around since 2015. The marketplace offers crafters and artisans a reputable place to sell their creations,.
So, if you aren’t already selling there, you may be wondering, what is Amazon Handmade? Read on for some of the most important points you need to know about it, before moving forward.
What is Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade, also called Handmade at Amazon, is an online store within the original Amazon marketplace created with artisans in mind. Like Etsy, it offers sellers the opportunity to sell their handcrafted, one-of-a-kind products (one of the top ecommerce niches for the last three years).
Within the Handmade category, sellers can choose the subcategory that best fits their products, making it easy for shoppers to browse, find, and buy. There is a wide range of subcategories you can choose from such as jewelry, clothing, artwork, and pet supplies. Whatever type of products you make will be visible and easy for potential buyers to find.
What Can You Sell on Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade has rules regarding the products you can sell on the marketplace. Their definition of handmade includes the following stipulations:
- All the items you list in your Amazon Handmade store must made “entirely by hand, hand-altered, or hand assembled.” In other words, they can’t be from any type of kit.
- All the products in your store must be handmade by you or one of your employees, so long as your company has fewer than 20 employees or your collective has fewer than 100 members.
- Products that are mass produced or made by other artisans are prohibited on the site.
The Amazon Handmade marketplace currently offers artisans the following categories to post their items in:
- Gifts
- Jewelry
- Home & Kitchen
- Wedding
- Clothing & Shoes
- Handbags & Accessories
- Beauty & Grooming
- Stationery & Party Supplies
- Toys & Games
- Pet Supplies
- Home Décor
- Artwork
- Kitchen & Dining
- Furniture
- Baby
- Made in Italy
If your products don’t easily fit into one of the above categories, you can still apply to sell and a new category may be made. Amazon Handmade is continually working to add more categories for sellers and shoppers.
What is the Application Process Like for Amazon Handmade?
Unlike the original Amazon marketplace, Handmade requires an application process for approval to sell your handmade products within the Handmade store. Once your application is approved, you will receive an invitation from Amazon to create your Handmade store.
The application itself is straightforward. You provide basic information, answer multiple choice questions about the production of your products, take photos of the items you create, and send a detailed guide about your production process. The whole application typically takes less than half an hour to complete, but it’s important that you provide quality photos and information.
Once your application is received, a member of the Amazon Handmade team will review and verify that your products meet their definition of handmade.
Expect it to take a few days to get a response or invitation from Amazon after you submit an application. They do promise that your application will be reviewed within 48 hours of receipt.
What Are the Fees for Selling on the Handmade Marketplace?
The fees are higher than Etsy’s fees. The Handmade marketplace charges 15% commission on sales plus a $1 minimum referral fee, while Etsy’s fees are a $0.20 listing fee for each item and a 3.5% commission on your sales.
If you’re already selling your products on your own website or on Etsy, it’s still worth opening an Amazon Handmade store. Amazon currently has 95 million US customers and over 250 million customers worldwide.
Final Thoughts on Amazon Handmade
Amazon is well-known, reputable, and often online shoppers’ first choice when it comes to making purchases online. That alone makes it a good idea to sell your handmade creations on the marketplace. While it’s certainly not as popular as the overall Amazon marketplace (yet!), Amazon Handmade has a lot of potential for growth. Sell on Etsy and thinking about it? Check out our 9 essential tips for selling on Etsy.
Do you sell on Handmade at Amazon? Let us know your experience in the comments.
