CityBeat staffers don’t typically write about ourselves because there are plenty of cool, local happenings to discuss and no one really cares about our fantasy football teams that didn’t make the playoffs.
But somehow, amid overseeing our special issues, dining and events sections, interns, etc., our humble managing editor Maija Zummo for the past year has also been curating an eclectic online shop called Made in Cincinnati, which connects local makers with consumers who appreciate the creativity and authenticity you can only find in an artisan shop. Think of it as a local version of Etsy managed by the best gift-giver ever.
Zummo launched the business after receiving a People’s Liberty grant to help with startup costs. It’s not making her rich — she still works for us — but the endeavor has helped shift a little money from other, national online retailers into the pockets of local makers, many of whom also sell their wares on their own sites and at crafty retail events like the City Flea, the O.F.F. Market and Crafty Supermarket.
“The point is to offer an alternative to in-person pop-ups,” Zummo tells me via iChat from across the room. “One that you can shop 24/7 without having to leave the house.”
The site, shopmadeincincinnati.com, offers everything from art and home goods to jewelry, bath and pet stuff, with each of the 40-plus makers either sought out or approved by Zummo. Right now, there’s an organized “shop by” section where you can see what a slightly neurotic but very in-the-know Millennial would suggest for “him,” “her,” “home” or “kids.” The “under $25 section” includes T-shirts, beard oils, soaps and toys. For $50 or so, you can point and click your way through tasteful earrings, necklaces, wall art, bowls and planters. The site recently celebrated its first birthday and was featured in Cincinnati Magazine’s “Top 5 Ways to Celebrate Small Business Saturday.”
Because it supports creative locals and is such a convenient means of shopping — multiple CityBeat staffers have turned to our colleague/the site for crucial last-minute gifts for people we were trying to impress — we carved out a space here for Zummo to highlight a few of her favorite locally made products on the virtual shelf right now.
More info: shopmadeincincinnati.com.
This article appears in Dec 7-14, 2016.
