News / AI
Bristol founders launch online marketplace as ‘UK’s answer to Etsy’
A new online marketplace has positioned itself as the “UK’s answer to Etsy”.
The Bristol-founded platform aims to connect independent UK crafters with buyers while offering a “fairer alternative” to established marketplaces.
Crafters Market was launched by the Bristol-based makers David Pottrell and Holly Woodruff, who say they were “frustrated by high fees on existing sites”.
The initial platform was created during the pandemic in 2021.
Crafters Market has positioned itself as the “UK’s answer to Etsy”
After a period of steady growth, the pair decided to completely rebuild it using AI tools, before officially taking it to market.
The platform has already attracted more than 1,000 independent sellers and is seeing steadily growing visitor numbers, with plans to scale further as demand rises.
The launch comes amid strong growth in the craft sector, with millions of UK consumers buying handmade products and the global market projected to reach nearly $1,000bn by 2030.
According to the Crafts Council, 10.3m Brits are now buying craft online, a figure that has more than tripled over the past decade and is expected to rise further.
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Pottrell said: “The market has huge potential and is growing faster than ever and we feel like this is our moment to grasp the nettle.
“The burgeoning desire from consumers to buy sustainably, the emergence of more people having multiple income streams and the soaring cost of living requires the market to respond and provide marketplaces like this.”
He added that the growth of AI has been a key factor for the business: “The entire platform was rebuilt using AI extensively — from development workflows to content and automation.
“This shows what AI can do, and we will continue to lean into this technology, to allow us to scale quickly.”
Pottrell, a web designer who specialises in helping start-ups and small businesses, said he is optimistic about the future and believes a UK-focused alternative to platforms like Etsy is needed to maintain authenticity and a strong connection between makers and buyers.
All photos: Crafters Market
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