Photo credit; Tanenhaus on Flickr

Rachael Zelensky makes it her mission to help Australian craftspeople sell what they make.

Zelensky is the Managing Director of Boutique Markets, which operates quarterly markets selling hand made goods around Australia.

“It’s small business providing a new twist on retail,” say Zelensky. “Customers want to get away from the normal retail format and are looking for something personal and unique.”

Zelensky says market stores are incredibly popular with women – with mothers making up 75% of owners.

“The markets are a platform for interaction,” said Zelensky. “They start as small businesses but get bigger.”

Locally, the demand for something special that is not mass produced is also huge.

“We recently had our Melbourne Christmas market at the Caulfield racecourse,” said Zelensky. “Three ATMs were on site and two were cleared of cash.”

Although Boutique Markets doesn’t sell online, their website is a place for craftspeople to connect and find out when the next big show is.

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