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Date: 1/24/2023
HADLEY – Just three months after its opening, Valley Artisans has grown to be a booming business. With products made by over 80 local vendors on sale, store owner Karin Gardner is empowering local craftsmakers by providing a brick–and–mortar location to connect with customers and sell their items, saying “Business is going amazing! I have [work by] over 80 artisans in the store now. We have sales every day, even after the holidays. People are just loving the store.”
Though her journey got off to somewhat of a rough start, Gardner has managed to grow the business to its current boom with some help from her vendors and employees.
“To be honest with you, the first month I ended up in the hospital so I wasn’t there. I opened on Oct. 16, got sick on Oct. 20 and I didn’t get out of the hospital until Nov. 9. So for the first month the store basically ran on its own. The vendors all came in and volunteered to work, my employees stepped up. So I can’t really give you the story of the first month because I wasn’t really there. Halfway through November I started going back to the store. November and December were amazing. December was crazy but that’s Christmas so I had hoped for that,” Gardner said.
Certain products have attracted customers who were followers of that particular vendor, attracting an even bigger customer base to the store as a whole.
“There are some [of the store’s 80 vendors] that have their own following. I don’t want to say any names because then someone’s going to be like ‘Well why didn’t you say my name?’,” Gardner said.
Gardner let prospective vendors know how they can have their products stocked in Valley Artisans. She has also been in talks with her existing vendors about putting on events in the store.
“[Vendors interested in selling their work at the store] can either stop by the store or email me at valleyartisans@outlook.com,” Gardner said. “I haven’t had a chance to put on any events in the store yet, but I have been talking to my vendors and we are going to put something together.”
Her decision to leave her teaching job and start her business was risky, but she feels it was the smartest thing to do and is happy with the results.
“[Transitioning from teaching to owning the store] was the best decision I ever made. Working for myself instead of working for someone else, I basically can make my own hours, life is just so much less stressful than it was before. I did like being in education but this is just so much more rewarding. And I’m also helping those other 80 people out by giving them a spot to sell their items. It feels good to help them,” Gardner said.
She said that the store offers something for everyone, and it is the best place to find a gift for someone of any age.
“It’s all [products made by] local artisans, so everything in the store is hand-crafted by someone local. You can pretty much find anything in there. We have bags, soap, candles, jewelry, aprons, wooden toys, Shattuck’s maple syrup, nice wood cutting boards and charcuterie boards...It’s a perfect store for all your gift-giving needs, from grandkids to grandparents. There’s something in there for everybody,” Gardner said.
Valley Artisans is located in the Hampshire Mall.