The thought counts, but PurpleMaple.com thinks the gift is pretty important too
Great Falls, VA --
Feb 21, 2007 --
www.PurpleMaple.com has launched an online marketplace featuring handmade and hand-assembled gift items from an elite group of artisans.
Carolyn Rumpel, PurpleMaple.com’s founder wanted to redefine the online gift shopping experience. By bringing together talented artisans and providing them with a venue to share their often undiscovered, handmade gift items along with their individual stories, she hopes to personalize the gift shopping process so that the thought also means the gift counts!
According to Rumpel, Purple Maple provides a creative outlet for people from all walks of life who make beautiful and unique gift items, but don’t necessarily have the time or the desire to manage the business side of things. “There is about a 50:50 mix between people who make their living solely from their craft and others who craft their unique offerings in their spare time. It is a surprisingly diverse group of people providing a wide range of gift options, and PurpleMaple.com allows you to get to know them,” she explained.
Rumpel plans to grow the business big by staying small – creating an intimate venue featuring carefully selected artisans so that none get lost in the crowd as often happens online. In fact, Purple Maple wants to expand to only 100 artisans within the next year. “Our screening process is focused on high-quality and finding the “unfindable” and can be hard to find,” she quipped.
So how does it all work? PurpleMaple.com creates an online shop for each of its chosen artisans and helps them with pricing strategies and other critical marketing components. For its services, PurpleMaple.com collects an annual membership fee plus commission on completed transactions. A percentage of membership is invested back into the artisan – through highly targeted advertising of individual artisans’ shop. For far less than the cost of a booth at a craft fair, PurpleMaple.com gives artisans year round exposure. According to artisan Dana Jensen, PurpleMaple.com is a real asset. It lets artists do what they do best – create.
As for the buyer, they are in for a unique shopping experience. Customers can browse by category or by individual artisans’ shops. They’ll find high-quality handcrafted goods paired with the story of the people who make them. From jewelry to children’s items, www.PurpleMaple.com features merchandise for the discerning shopper looking for one-of-a-kind and unique gifts. “Many of the items are exclusives and so people started buying before we officially opened doors! Me included!” Rumpel said.
Contact Information
Carolyn Rumpel
info@purplemaple.com
617-669-9453
www.purplemaple.com
