Local Women's Handicrafts
Local Women's Handicrafts is a Nepal-based, founder-led e-commerce business selling handmade fashion, home decor, and gift products made by a global network of women artisans from upcycled and sustainable materials, distributed via Shopify, Faire wholesale, and corporate gifting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Local Women's Handicrafts does
Local Women's Handicrafts is a privately held, founder-owned e-commerce business founded in 2008 by Nasreen Sheikh, a survivor of modern slavery, and headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal with US-facing commercial operations. The company sells handmade artisan products across home and garden, kitchen and dining, fashion, stationery, and gifts categories, with products predominantly made from upcycled sari fabrics, organic hemp, organic cotton, and recycled textiles produced by a global network of women artisans trained over 4-5 year apprenticeships.
The commercial platform is built on Shopify, supporting multi-currency checkout and shipping to more than 20 countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. The technology stack is intentionally conventional: Shopify e-commerce infrastructure with integrated payment processing (American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Mastercard, Visa, Shop Pay, Bancontact, Diners Club, Discover, iDEAL), Shopify multi-currency and language localization, and standard organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter/X). There are no proprietary software platforms, AI/ML capabilities, mobile apps, or disclosed patents or trademarks.
The business operates three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer retail product sales (unit-priced $6-$158+), fixed-denomination gift cards ($100-$300), and wholesale (B2B minimum order $200, distributed both directly and via the Faire marketplace). A corporate gifting channel serves enterprise buyers seeking values-aligned gifts. The customer base is split between conscious consumers, corporate gifting accounts, yoga and wellness enthusiasts, and wholesale buyers. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investors, and the team is reported at 1-10 employees; the company is operated under the founder with no parent company or subsidiary structure.
Local Women's Handicrafts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local Women's Handicrafts
- Legal name
- Local Women's Handicrafts
- Website
- https://localwomenshandicrafts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Local Women's Handicrafts is a Nepal-based, founder-led e-commerce business selling handmade fashion, home decor, and gift products made by a global network of women artisans from upcycled and sustainable materials, distributed via Shopify, Faire wholesale, and corporate gifting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local Women's Handicrafts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Home Goods and Handmade Crafts
- NAICS
- Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159), Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (339910)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Decorative Accessories Retail (Vases, Bowls, Sculptures, Figurines, Trays) (CRAIACAB)
Keywords
Where Local Women's Handicrafts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kathmandu
- HQ country
- Nepal
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Local Women's Handicrafts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase model for handmade artisan products across categories including home goods, fashion, jewelry, yoga accessories, and gifts. Products are priced individually with a range from $6 to $158+.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold at fixed denominations ($100, $150, $200, $250, $300) allowing recipients to select their own products.
- Wholesale: B2B wholesale channel with a $200 minimum order, offering discounted pricing on the full product catalog for retailers and resellers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product pricing ranging from $6 to $158+ |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards at fixed denominations |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale pricing with $200 minimum order |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Local Women's Handicrafts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local Women's Handicrafts produces and sells handmade home decor, fashion accessories, yoga and meditation products, and gift items crafted by a global network of women artisans using upcycled sari fabrics, hemp, organic cotton, and other eco-friendly materials. The company operates a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront, a wholesale channel with a $200 minimum order, and a corporate gifting program, distributing to conscious consumers and ethical retailers worldwide.
Product overview
Local Women's Handicrafts is a survivor-led e-commerce platform offering handcrafted goods made by women artisans worldwide. The company operates as a unified marketplace rather than a modular platform, selling ethically sourced and handmade products primarily made from upcycled and recycled materials. The product portfolio centers around five main categories: Home + Garden (baskets, storage, pillows, throws, mats, rugs, yoga accessories), Kitchen + Dining (table linens, placemats, coasters), Fashion (bags, wallets, clothing, hats, scarves, shawls, jewelry), Stationery + Party (notebooks, postcards, decorations), and Kids items. Core product lines include upcycled sari yoga mats and bags, hemp-based accessories (backpacks, wallets, totes), recycled fabric home decor (pillow covers, rugs, doormats), handwoven textiles (scarves, shawls, blankets), and meditation items (singing bowls, cushions, incense). Products are predominantly made from upcycled sari fabrics, hemp, cotton, and recycled materials, emphasizing sustainability and fair-trade principles. The company also offers wholesale accounts with a $200 minimum and corporate gifting services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Extra Padded Yoga Mat Extra padded yoga mat made from recycled sari fabrics with natural cotton fabric for comfort and anti-slip protection. Dimensions: 70 x 24 inches, Weight: 380g. Priced at $48.00 USD.
- Colorful Placemat Fair trade placemat handmade from recycled sari fabrics. Best seller with minimum order quantity of 4 pieces. Dimensions: 19 x 12.5 inches. Priced at $14.00 USD.
- Upcycled Yoga Mat Bag Yoga mat bag with three pockets including main pocket with zipper, 8 x 4 inch front pocket with elastic for water bottle, and inner small pocket. 55-inch adjustable strap. Priced at $35.00 USD.
- Cotton Yoga Mat and Bag Set Cotton yoga mat and bag set with extra padding, including mat and bag with 19-inch zipper and adjustable 33-inch strap. Available in Purple, Brown, Green. Priced at $68.00 USD.
- Upcycled Yoga Mat and Bag Set Upcycled Sari yoga mat and bag set at 15% discounted price, including one yoga mat and one yoga mat bag. Priced at $97.00 USD.
- Vibrant Flags Garland Handcrafted repurposed flags garland made from upcycled materials. Adds a rainbow touch around house or garden. Dimensions: 5 meters. Priced at $28.00 USD.
- Long Table Runner Fair trade upcycled table runner made from sari fabrics for dining table decoration. Dimensions: 113 x 14 inches, Weight: 835g. Priced at $55.00 USD.
- Square Pillow Cover Fair trade pillow cover handmade from various leftover materials with upcycled lining and organic cotton back with zip. Dimensions: 19 x 19 inches. Priced at $52.00 USD.
Quantifiable outcome
- Training program duration: 4-5 years for artisans to master crafts and achieve quality standards
Companies that use Local Women's Handicrafts
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Local Women's Handicrafts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Local Women's Handicrafts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering the Local Women's Handicrafts online store. Provides website hosting, payment processing, and retail infrastructure for direct-to-consumer sales.
- FairecoreWholesale marketplace connecting Local Women's Handicrafts with retailers and boutique buyers. Provides discovery and ordering platform for wholesale purchases.
- End Modern Slavery NowstrategicMovement and petition initiative that Local Women's Handicrafts aligns with and supports. Brand is inspired by principles of ending modern slavery through economic empowerment.
- Transparent TradestrategicInitiative that inspires Local Women's Handicrafts' approach to ethical sourcing and transparent supply chains. Brand principles align with transparent trade practices.
- Empowerment CollectivecoreOrganization connected to founder Nasreen Sheikh. Local Women's Handicrafts directs donations to Empowerment Collective, suggesting a close organizational or founder relationship.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Local Women's Handicrafts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SERRV International: Nonprofit fair-trade organization selling handcrafted goods from artisans in developing countries through D2C, wholesale, and gift channels — overlapping customer base and product categories.
- Global Girlfriend: Women-focused fair-trade retailer of handmade artisan accessories, apparel, and home goods; highly comparable mission (women artisan empowerment) and product mix.
- Ten Thousand Villages: Long-established fair-trade retailer of handmade artisan goods sourced primarily from women makers in the Global South, operating the same D2C-plus-wholesale model across home decor, fashion, and jewelry categories.
- Made Trade: Ethical online marketplace curating fair-trade, sustainable, and made-in-USA products including handcrafted home goods, bags, and apparel — directly comparable assortment and values-led GTM motion.
- The Little Market: Fair-trade nonprofit e-commerce store specializing in handcrafted goods made by women artisans worldwide, with comparable mission-driven positioning and product categories spanning home and fashion.
- Novica: Online marketplace selling handcrafted artisan products from around the world, with a strong social-impact and fair-trade narrative similar to Local Women's Handicrafts and overlapping categories like home textiles, jewelry, and apparel.
- Trades of Hope: Mission-driven fair-trade company selling handmade artisan products through a women-empowerment lens using direct sales and e-commerce channels.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy (fair trade artisans): Massive online marketplace with thousands of sellers offering handmade artisan products in the same home, fashion, and jewelry categories — represents the competitive landscape Local Women's Handicrafts competes in for organic discovery.
Others
- Faire: Wholesale marketplace where Local Women's Handicrafts already sells; comparable as an indirect distribution partner and a representative of the broader curated indie retail channel they access.
Regional players
- Kishore Nepal: Nepal-based exporter and online retailer of fair-trade handmade home goods and accessories, comparable origin, artisan-base, and product categories (cushions, bags, scarves).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Local Women's Handicrafts social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Women's Handicrafts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Women's Handicrafts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Local Women's Handicrafts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Women's Handicrafts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local Women's Handicrafts
What does Local Women's Handicrafts do?
Local Women's Handicrafts produces and sells handmade home decor, fashion accessories, yoga and meditation products, and gift items crafted by a global network of women artisans using upcycled sari fabrics, hemp, organic cotton, and other eco-friendly materials. The company operates a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront, a wholesale channel with a $200 minimum order, and a corporate gifting program, distributing to conscious consumers and ethical retailers worldwide.
Is Local Women's Handicrafts a public or private company?
Local Women's Handicrafts is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Local Women's Handicrafts founded?
Local Women's Handicrafts was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Local Women's Handicrafts based?
Local Women's Handicrafts is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the Asia region.
How does Local Women's Handicrafts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards and wholesale.
Who are Local Women's Handicrafts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SERRV International, Global Girlfriend, Ten Thousand Villages, Made Trade, The Little Market, Novica and Trades of Hope. Etsy (fair trade artisans) is listed as a broad incumbent. Faire is listed as an others. Kishore Nepal is listed as a regional player.
Does Local Women's Handicrafts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Women's Handicrafts.
What industry is Local Women's Handicrafts in?
Local Women's Handicrafts's product category is Artisan Home Goods and Handmade Crafts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIACAB, Decorative Accessories Retail (Vases, Bowls, Sculptures, Figurines, Trays). Its NAICS code is 3159 and its SIC code is 5600.