You can support local businesses and do your holiday shopping in your underwear this year! The Moretown Artisans’ Sale (MAS) is pivoting online this holiday shopping season in an effort to make it easier for consumers to find locally made, quality gifts, but still shop in a safe and convenient manner.
Due to COVID related reasons, Digital Commerce 360 projects U.S. consumers will spend nearly $2 billion with online retailers this holiday season, over a 40% year-over-year jump from for the same November-December period in 2019. Moretown Artisans’ Sale organizer, Meg Schultz, hopes that taking the MAS online will help some of those purchases stay with local businesses.
“Shopping online is easy, convenient and safe,” Schultz says. “But just because I’m shopping online doesn’t mean I can’t also support local artists and businesses.”
A survey Schultz circulated in November about online shopping patterns revealed that 90% of respondents eagerly want to support local businesses, but struggle to do so when shopping locally online, simply because they don’t know what is available. She hopes that by turning the Moretown Artisans’ Sale into somewhat of an online directory for local artists, that this can help solve that problem.
“This has been the ‘No-Show’ season for artists,” Schultz quipped. “Doing shows like the Moretown Artisans’ Sale and others – this is how a lot of artists make the bulk of their living and without being able to do in-person shows, ‘the struggle has been real.’ Our hope is that by providing an online outlet for consumers to find products made locally, we can put a positive note on an otherwise dismal year.”
Over 20 artists with a wide variety of products have signed up in just the first few days and applications are still coming in. Schultz is optimistic there will be an ample selection for consumers to browse through when they start “windows shopping” for holiday gifts.
Consumers can start shopping right away at moretownartisan.com but Schultz says to keep checking back as she expects to update the page with more artists regularly.
For more information go to moretownartisan.com, find Meg’s Events on Facebook or contact Meg directly at therealmegsevents@gmail.com. www.moretownartisan.com.
