by Mary E. Petzak

n 2001, when The Crafts Report first surveyed artisans and retailers about selling on the Internet, the online marketplace was still relatively novel to many craftspeople. Only three years later, e-commerce has spread to every industry, including crafts, and the public and craft businesses routinely include this channel in their buying habits.

Artists

For the past three years, The Crafts Report has included inquiries about Internet use and Web pages in our surveys of our readers. Results of our year-long Insight Survey for 2001 showed that both full-time and part-time artists were using the Internet to sell their work. In 2001, full-time artists reported that 2 percent, or $382,160, of their gross sales came online. Part-time artists reported that 1 percent, or $37,300 of their gross sales were online.

In 2002, overall gross sales for full-time artists in that year’s Insight Survey were up over 2001, but these artists still reported only 2 percent of their gross income came from online sales. Total gross income for part-time artists was down, according to survey responses in 2002, but again, the percentage of sales remained the same, 1 percent, as in 2001.

In 2003, full-time artists responding to our Insight Survey reported gross sales of $12.9 million, but still only 2 percent of which came from online sales. But part-time artists reported that 5 percent of their gross sales came from the Internet in 2003.

The Crafts Report surveyed an expanded list of Insight media in 2003, giving a broader cross-section of artists. It’s interesting to note the media of artists who already had a Web site in 2003 as well as those who were using it to sell their work online. (See Charts.) While not every artist or every medium finds online selling profitable, a large number are trying it out.

And, while retail shows remain the largest avenue of revenue for both full-time and part-time artists, the percentage of gross sales in the Insight surveys from consigning or selling directly to galleries (in person or online) has steadily climbed: 27 percent for full-time artists in 2001 to 29 percent in 2003; and, 21 percent in 2001 for part-time artists to 36 percent in 2003. Meanwhile, the percentage of sales coming from wholesale shows has steadily decreased for full-time artists, from 28 percent in 2001 to only 22 percent in 2003 (TCR, January and December 2002, December 2003).

Retailers

As with artists, The Crafts Report has included facts about Internet use and Web pages in the data reported on galleries each month in our Regional section of the magazine. In 2001, 27 of the 91 retailers featured in our Gallery Opportunities did not have Web sites. By 2002, the numbers had gone to 15 not reporting a Web site out of the 68 retailers interviewed.

Last year, 47 of the 149 retailers appearing in our Regional Galleries did not include a Web site in their data.

In visits to the Web sites of retailers with an online presence, we noted a wide variety of information provided as well as buying and selling practices. Some retailers provide only information about their retail locations and work or artists that they represent. In effect, they are simply expanding their advertising to the Internet.

Others provide images of work for sale, and even prices, but require interested purchasers to contact them to buy. But as e-commerce and online payments become more commonplace for all kinds of products, more craft retailers are providing works, prices and online payment and sales arrangements to customers on their Web sites.

Retailers, while not specifically asked about their online buying in our interviews, also contact artists directly and online about representing the artist’s work in their shops.Some of the artists appearing in our Insight section each month, as well as those profiled throughout the year, report that gallery owners call with inquiries about purchasing the work pictured or mentioned in The Crafts Report. And some artists’ Web sites advise visitors that they only sell to wholesale buyers or retailers. As with brick-and-mortar sites, every online storefront has its own personality and approach to the goal of selling.

 

Mary Petzak is the editor of The Crafts Report.