French crafts and end-of-year gifts
Les fêtes de fin d’année arrivent à grands pas, et pour la plupart d’entre nous, la course aux cadeaux commence … avec souvent cette interrogation : que vais-je bien pouvoir bien offrir à mes proches ?
Do your Christmas shopping at local artisans, do you like it?
The current trend, which consists of consume locally and more responsibly, is accentuated by the particular pandemic context in which we live.
L’ambiance est inédite en cette fin d’année 2020 ; néanmoins, nous avons envie d’un Noël festif (peut-être même encore plus que d’habitude) et l’achat des cadeaux nous donne un avant-goût de fête.
However, the maintenance of the Christmas markets, more or less famous, being strongly compromised or even prohibited, the meeting with the craftsmen will be done differently this year.
En effet, comme bon nombre d’entreprises, les artisans français ont dû se réinventer pour faire connaître leurs produits.
Offrir un cadeau de l’artisanat français : les « plus »
In artisan, there is « ART » :
In general, a craftsman makes his products by hand, favoring, as far as possible, local raw materials and traditional tools.
They offer multiple objects - textiles, decoration, gastronomy, etc. -, use various materials - leather, wood, lace, wool, etc. and use a variety of processes - pottery, ceramics, weaving, embroidery, basketwork, etc.
Quality objects
Handicraft products are in the majority of cases quality objects, full of creativity, original or more traditional.
They seduce by their uniqueness, authenticity and durability.
Focus on human relationships
Un artisan est parfois quelqu’un que l’on connaît, qui travaille à quelques km de chez soi.
He wishes us to share his passion for his profession, takes the time for warm encounters.
Endowed with great skills, his precision work contributes to the maintenance of French traditions and heritage.
Local development actors
Craftsmen greatly contribute to making « tourner » l’économie locale, parfois même circulaire.
They participate in the economic development of our territories by using raw materials from terroir, by making the people of the sector work.
Responsible manufacturing
By favoring short circuits, by controlling waste - the raw materials that can come from recovery - artisanal productions help to reduce the carbon footprint.
Eco-responsible, even fair, this way of working has significant repercussions on a ecological point of view.
Buying a product made by a French craftsman, has it become a civic act?
What about Christmas in all of this?
The turnover achieved by artisans is often dependent on seasonality and calendar events.
De ce fait, la période de Noël est habituellement propice à l’augmentation des ventes chez les artisans. En effet, il est d’usage d’offrir ou de s’offrir des cadeaux en fin d’année.
Products fromlocal crafts are excellent gift ideas: there is something for all styles, all budgets, all desires.
Clothing and accessories, toys, jewelry, food and drinks from our regions, cosmetics, decorative objects, etc. will make everyone happy!
How to meet the artisans and take advantage of their offers?
Craftsmen traditionally exhibit their products in markets (including Christmas markets), in pop-up shops, at trade fairs, etc.
Many of them also offer tailor-made products, personalized to order.
Nevertheless, with the digital development, many companies have chosen to sell their objects "remotely" by creating their online sales site or using a MarketPlace. This phenomenon has grown since spring 2020, with confinement making face-to-face sales less obvious for many players.
Thus, with a Online Store, they increase the visibility of their products during the Christmas holidays but also throughout the year.