Benefits of buying local and handmade

For some, the choice to buy locally created handmade products is a conscious one. For others, it is the appeal of a unique and original product that you cannot find anywhere else.

Whatever your reason may be, buying locally handmade products may have more benefits than you originally recognised.

  
     “think globally, act locally”

At the Handmade Exchange, we are dedicated to supporting independent artists and promoting all things handmade.

Some benefits of buying locally handmade products that you may not have considered:

Giving your local community twice the money:
Studies have found that when one buys locally made goods, compared to purchasing products from large department stores or international companies, more than twice the amount of money from that purchase stays in the local economy. The truth is that many local communities are not suffering from a lack of money coming in, but as a result of where that money goes.

Helping our environment and our animals:
Mass production has a significant impact on the environment, including pollution and waste. By avoiding unnecessary transportation costs and unsafe waste management we are promoting a healthy planet with happy animals. Many of our featured artists also up-cycle and reuse discarded items, thus reducing waste and giving a new life to seemingly useless items.

Supporting healthy and safe working conditions:
It is no secret that many products purchased from large chains and department stores are produced overseas under inhumane working conditions. Buying locally handmade products ensures that we are not supporting child labour and other unsafe practices.

Decreasing dependence and increasing resilience:
By purchasing from large multi-national companies we are increasing our dependence and
putting the future of our local economies at risk. Changes in transportation costs or international relationships could drastically increase the price of imported goods, and we may not have any other local options. By increasing resilience through supporting local businesses we can adapt to what the future may bring.


Our goal at The Handmade Exchange is to provide affordable handmade alternatives to mass produced goods, that are locally made by talented Australian artisans. Thank you for choosing to support independent artists and for helping to keep the arts alive.