Starting this week, manufacturers will be able to create a profile on the crafty ecommerce site Etsy as part of a beta program. The Etsy Manufacturing program is a new service that will link Etsy sellers with small manufacturing companies. The operation is designed to help both sellers who have little time to fulfill larger orders, and smaller manufacturers, some of whom have lost business to larger or cheaper manufacturers.
Etsy will review the applications of manufacturers, checking up on their size, their commitment to transparency and how much work they themselves outsource, but the marketplace won't actively visit or vet the successful applicants. Instead, Etsy demands that manufacturers featured commit to providing a safe work space and are transparent about their manufacturing processes.
Sellers will eventually be able to search through manufacturers by criteria such as price, location and the manufacturing services they offer.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Is this a good opportunity for small manufacturers? Is the transparency requirement a good idea?
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