Meet Maker House, a local shop that offers small business products from all over Canada, and is focused on giving back to the community.
Maker House was founded by in 2015 as a pop-up shop.
“We focus on Canadian-made, locally made, and hand-made items,” said founder and owner Gareth Davies.
The products sold in the store are by local and Canadian “makers.”
These days the shop features products from about 50 makers but over time it has offered wares produced by more than 200 makers.
“That covers furniture and homewares, to a lot of great gift items like gourmet food, chocolate, jams, hot sauces, trail mixes, caramel corn, to bath and body stuff like great bar soaps, bath bombs, shower steamers, lip balms, lotions,” said Davies.
“And then we also have a great collection of greeting cards and ornaments, and curated gift boxes, from all of our different collections so people can get something that really suits them or suits the person they’re buying for.”
The shop is now displaying holiday-themed decor in its front windows and has products organized in categories such as the holiday shop, ornaments, gift ideas and categorized gift boxes.
“We’re pretty busy during November and December,” said Davies.
The shop limits the number of customers who can be inside at a given time. “We’ll hand out hot chocolate and samples and talk to folks waiting in line,” said Davies.
#CraftChange
The store has created some community support initiatives including #CraftChange which donates at least two per cent of overall sales each year to community organizations and non-profits. More than 50 organizations have received money from the initiative.
“Now we’ve just crossed the threshold of $200,000 raised and donated through Craft Change” said Davies.
On Nov. 24, Maker House raised $1,260 for the Parkdale Food Centre.
“We did ‘Give-Back Friday.’ Every sale in the store, someone donated five dollars or more to the Parkdale Food Centre,” said Jessica James. “We matched the donation up to $1,000 and also [customers] got 10 per cent off their orders.”
Maker House regularly hosts days for donations to go to specific community groups.
“It’s a nice twist on Black Friday where its more about the giving back than about the discount, but the customers still got a discount to spend with local businesses,” said James.
On Nov. 28, Maker House partnered with Causeway Work Centre this Giving Tuesday to give them 10 per cent of their sales.
“I shop local, and specifically today because they’re doing donations for Causeway, but also because as a local fundraising coordinator it’s nice to shop local and it’s nice to support businesses that give back to the community,” said Safra Malik, who works at Causeway and is a local community member.
Maker House shares its initiatives and partners as well as products and makers to its more than 40,000 followers across different social media platforms.
“It’s been awesome to work with Parkdale, but also organizations like Hijinx downtown, the Ottawa Tool Library, Ecology Ottawa, and also more national organizations like the Orange Shirt Society or Art for Aid,” said Davies.
Popping up
Maker House Co. will also be at multiple pop-up markets in December including Vibe 613 Popup on Bank Street to Dec. 30 and the Ottawa Xmas Market at Lansdowne between Dec. 21 to 23.
The shop also has “carol-free” Fridays in December, for shoppers who want to do holiday shopping without the music.
