Member Article

Exclusive Italian craft and food delicacy website launches

How can local handcraft businesses participate in and benefit from globalization? This question was the starting point of an unparalleled market place, that launched this week. Artimondo.co.uk brings together over 800 local artisans with more than 20,000 unique items. Thanks to the connection with “Artigiano in Fiera”, the world’s largest craft fair – first held in 1996 and taking place from November 29th until December 8th in Milan –, the number of providers and products is growing continuously. Over a period of about 20 years a global network of craftsman’s workshops has been created. Now UK customers, that appreciate intelligent consumption, can order delicacies, hand-made fashion or furnishing accessories directly from only one source throughout the year. Otherwise these products are only available at the fair in Milan or in various little shops of the handicraft businesses - scattered all over Italy and Europe.

With its large variety of products and proven professionally working handicraft businesses, artimondo.co.uk is far more than another market place start-up. The platform features an enormous range of different and really unique products. Each provider is thoroughly tested before they are admitte by a globally operating team of experts. Thus, not only Italian providers, but also from many other European countries are represented from the outset. Yet the focus lies on Italy, Artimondo’s country of origin. In this context “Made in Italy” stands particularly for the love of the home region where local providers invest considerable time and effort in manufacturing regionally-based high quality products. The same applies for artisans in other European regions and overseas. Each and every provider offers insights in his own work and its production conditions.

“Craftsmanship and local products communicate an identity and represent the beating heart of a region,” says Antonio Intiglietta, CEO of operating company Gestione Fiere SpA. “We have always been committed to give a dedicated platform to these small craft businesses with their cultural diversity, creativity and devotion. After the success of the Artigiano in Fiera with its now 3,000 exhibitors, the development of an online marketplace was just the next logical step.” In fact this offer matches the sense of time: according to recent studies on consumer behaviour, UK consumers set great value upon local products, quality and sustainability.

Beside local specialties such as goat ham from Lombardy, at Artimondo you also a wide range of handmade fashion, from Italian shoes to sportswear and unique pieces of jewelry. Leisure goods, food, handicrafts, furnishings and natural cosmetics round off the offering. Using different search and filtering functions – for example on origin, price or handcraft business – customers can find their personal favorites amongst more than 20,000 products.

“Behind every product there is not only a name but foremost a face and a unique story. Our mission is to make these characteristics visible,” explains Stefano Intiglietta, vice chairman of Gestione Fiere SpA and responsible for the e-commerce marketplace.

“We provide the infrastructure, ensure the smooth processing and the reliable customer service. But the products come directly from the local artisans,” Stefano Intiglietta continues. Still the pool of artisanal small and micro businesses continues to be huge. From the Artigiano in Fiera periphery alone, new record highs of more than 3,000 applications are expected for 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Pacini .