SoLo Craft Fair Ltd

What SoLo Craft Fair Ltd does

SoLo Craft Fair Ltd is a UK private limited company founded in 2016 and headquartered in London. It operates a curated marketplace platform for independent makers, comprising three permanent retail shops (Elephant & Castle opened 2021, Brixton Village opened 2023, and Leadenhall Market opened September 2025), recurring craft markets at iconic London venues including Leadenhall Market, South Bank Between the Bridges, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Sky Garden, and a hireable workshop/event-space business in the Leadenhall basement. Each shop rotates roughly 50 to 100 makers monthly, and the company maintains a database of more than 5,000 independent makers used to curate assortments and pop-up activations.

The company monetises across six distinct revenue streams: stall fees of £40-£100 for market traders, consignment commission through its permanent shops, hen do workshop bookings at £30 per person, workshop space rental at £10-£20 per hour for grassroots users and £250-£500 per day for corporate clients, corporate team-building workshops, and a managed pop-up shop activation service for landlords with vacant retail units. The technology stack is non-proprietary: the company uses Squarespace for its website, Eventbrite/DesignMyNight/ClassBento for ticketing, and standard social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, X) for marketing, with no disclosed API, SDK, or platform layer of its own. Differentiation rests on curation (handmade only, no resellers), venue quality (heritage and tourist-grade locations), and a maker community reinforced by business workshops and networking events.

SoLo serves two primary customer segments: independent makers and designers seeking retail access and footfall, and London consumers (tourists and locals) seeking unique handmade goods. Secondary segments include hen parties, corporate teams seeking creative workshops, and commercial landlords seeking vacant-unit activation. The company is founder-operated with 6 employees and no disclosed external institutional investment, and is privately held with no subsidiaries, mergers, acquisitions, or leadership changes on record.

Name

SoLo Craft Fair Ltd

Legal name

SoLo Craft Fair Ltd

Website

https://solocraftfair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SoLo Craft Fair Ltd is a London-based curated marketplace for independent makers, operating three permanent retail shops and recurring craft markets at iconic London venues, monetising via stall fees, consignment commission, workshops, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan craft market and handmade goods retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Crafts & DIY Hobby Supplies Distribution (CRAOAMAE), DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail (CRALACAH)

Keywords

• Craft market operations
• Artisan retail curation
• Independent maker marketplace
• Creative workshop services
• Pop-up retail activation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Market Stall Fees: Fees charged to independent makers and designers to trade at SoLo Craft Fair markets. Stall prices range from £40-£100 depending on location and stall size.
2. Retail Shop Consignment: Monthly rotating selection of 50-100+ independent makers sell through SoLo's permanent shops on a consignment basis, featuring curated handmade art, jewellery, fashion, homeware, and gifts.
3. Hen Do Craft Workshops: Private craft workshop bookings for hen parties at £30 per person (minimum 5, maximum 20 people) for 2-hour sessions featuring crafts like lino printing, candle decorating, jewellery making, and embroidery.
4. Workshop Space Rental: Event spaces available to hire in Leadenhall basement - Pink Room (£20/hour grassroots, £500/day corporate) and Green Room (£10/hour grassroots, £250/day corporate), plus weekly exhibition rates.
5. Corporate Workshops: Team building creative workshops for corporate clients held at their shops or client venues.
6. Pop-Up Shop Activation: Transforming vacant retail spaces into temporary craft markets for landlords/property owners, curating diverse independent makers for each activation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SoLo Craft Fair organizes and operates curated craft markets and permanent retail shops across London, selling handmade goods (art, jewellery, fashion, homeware, gifts) on consignment from a curated pool of independent makers. The business also generates revenue from private craft workshops (hen dos and corporate team-building) and rental of two workshop/event spaces in the Leadenhall Market basement, alongside managed pop-up shop activations for property owners.

Product overview

SoLo Craft Fair Ltd operates a multi-channel craft market and retail business comprising three permanent shops (Elephant & Castle, Brixton Village, and Leadenhall Market), recurring craft markets at major London venues, and hireable workshop/event spaces. The core offering is a curated marketplace connecting independent makers with consumers through physical retail, pop-up markets, and workshop experiences. Supplementary services include corporate team-building workshops, hen party packages, and venue activation through pop-up shop management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SoLo Craft Fair Permanent Shops Three permanent retail locations in London (Elephant & Castle opened 2021, Brixton Village opened 2023, Leadenhall Market opened September 2025) showcasing rotating selections of 50-100+ independent makers selling handmade art, fashion, homeware, jewellery, and gifts on a consignment basis.
• SoLo Craft Fair Markets Recurring craft markets held at iconic London venues — Leadenhall Market (second Saturday monthly, 100+ makers), South Bank/Between the Bridges (first Sunday monthly, 60+ traders), St Martin-in-the-Fields (seasonal Christmas markets, 90+ traders), and Canada Water Broadwalk — including summer, Halloween, and Christmas themed events with free workshops.
• Hen Do Craft Workshop Packages Private 2-hour craft workshop packages for bachelorette parties at £30 per person (minimum 5, maximum 20 attendees), with crafts including lino printing, tea blending, jewellery making, flower crown making, and 20+ other options. Includes free venue hire at the Leadenhall Market basement.
• Corporate Team-Building Workshops Creative team-building workshops for corporate clients, delivered at SoLo's Leadenhall venue (with free room hire included) or at the client's own venue, designed to provide a memorable, small-business-supportive alternative to standard corporate away-days.
• Workshop and Event Space Rental Two hireable event spaces in the Leadenhall Market basement — the Pink Room (up to 12 seated / 20 standing) and the Green Room (up to 8 seated / 15 standing) — with grassroots rates of £10-£20/hour and commercial/corporate rates of £250-£500/day, plus weekly exhibition hire (£300-£600/week).
• Pop-Up Shop Activation Service Turnkey managed pop-up shop service for landlords and property owners with vacant retail units. SoLo curates and runs the activation with a rotating selection of independent makers from its 5,000+ maker database, including retail display, workshops, and events programming.
• Public Creative and Business Workshops Free and affordable creative and business workshops hosted at SoLo shops and market venues for the general public, including embroidery, candle decorating, tea blending, pottery painting, watercolour painting, crochet, tarot readings, lino printing, and small business advice sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shops feature 50-100+ makers monthly on rotating basis
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Market & MeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2023Network for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. Partnership includes free small business workshops for SoLo makers, culminating in pitch/mix & mingle networking events.
• Craft CoverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance provider offering 10% discount off public liability insurance for stall holders using code SOLO19. Helps ensure traders have appropriate coverage for markets.
• Between the BridgescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for summer markets at London's Southbank. SoLo transforms the pier section of London's Biggest Beer Garden into monthly craft markets with 60 traders, free workshops, and treasure hunts. Venue provides bars, street food, and entertainment.
• St Martin-in-the-FieldscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Christmas and seasonal markets at Trafalgar Square location. Markets span Crypt, Hall, Lightwell Tunnel and Main Foyer with 90+ traders and free creative workshops.
• Leadenhall MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Victorian market venue hosting SoLo's third permanent shop (opened September 2025) and monthly craft markets featuring 100+ makers.
• Pride In LondonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Pride partner, with portion of June sales donated to Metro Spark charity supporting LGBTQ+ youth in Southwark.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Folksy: UK-based online handmade marketplace focused on British independent makers and designers. Comparable maker-side value proposition (curated handmade community) but digital-only and significantly smaller scale than SoLo's physical retail footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist arts, crafts, and hobbies retail chain with 100+ stores. Comparable category (arts, crafts, hobby supplies) but competes via mass-market, multi-category assortment rather than SoLo's curated independent-maker model.
• Etsy: Global online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods. Competes for the same maker and consumer audiences but via a digital, global platform rather than SoLo's physical, London-centric curation model.
• Not On The High Street: UK online marketplace curating independent makers and designers. Comparable maker-curation philosophy and target customer (gift-buying UK consumers seeking handmade goods), but operates purely online rather than through physical retail.

Direct peers

• Renegade Craft Fair: US-based independent craft fair organizer operating curated markets in major cities. Highly comparable in curated maker-market format, consumer target demographic, and event-driven GTM, though US rather than UK-focused.
• Crafty Fox Market: South London-based craft market organizer hosting pop-up markets featuring independent makers. Comparable in scale, curation philosophy (handmade-only), maker support, and target customer base of young urban craft consumers.
• The Big Craft Show: UK craft fair organizer hosting multi-day events with hundreds of independent makers. Comparable in event-driven maker-market format, target customer (craft buyers), and workshop-driven ancillary revenue.
• The London Artisan: London-based organizer of curated artisan markets at iconic venues. Directly comparable in product offering (handmade maker markets), target customer (London shoppers seeking handmade goods), and venue strategy (high-footfall London locations).
• The Handmade Fair: UK-wide craft fair brand (associated with Kirstie Allsopp) hosting ticketed events featuring independent makers with workshops. Directly comparable business model combining maker markets with hands-on creative workshops.
• Craft Festival: UK organizer of curated contemporary craft fairs with strong maker-selection criteria. Comparable in product (handmade-only), business model (trader fees, workshops), and target customer (quality-focused handmade buyers).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solocraftfair
• Facebookfacebook.com/solocraftfair
• Instagraminstagram.com/solocraftfair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solo-craft-fair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoLo Craft Fair Ltd