The Beauty and Heart of Craftsmanship: Part 4 - Dropshipping

Well, let's talk briefly, but let's talk about a very serious subject.

Everyone knows the success stories of many influencers or various actors who are vectors of influence. We are going to talk about dropshipping .

I am not going to display and put these people in the public square because everyone has their reasons for doing so, I understand it like my artisan competitors who operate fairly. Nevertheless, it is time to inform everyone about the harm of dropshipping towards us artisans with ethics, respect for our creations and for our customers. I will give you a very personal definition that will apply in the jewelry sector: unfair competition.

Why be so reductive, you might ask? For the simple reason that, as detailed in the previous point regarding costs, people doing dropshipping act as unfair actors vis-à-vis competition that is supposed to be healthy and undistorted.

Ask yourself the question, for example, a set of rings and earrings in "bronze" or "silver" sold for less than €30, what would be the impact of this sale on local artisans? How come we are more expensive when it is also "bronze and silver jewelry"? Many sell "bronze" but it is brass or spelter which is less expensive but looks quite similar except in the long term.

Africa has talent, Senegal is full of craftsmen dedicated to mastering their manual art but are struggling to cope with the tidal wave of dropshipping that affects all sectors of craftsmanship, from jewelry to textiles and even leather goods. It is impossible for many of us to live from our work because our costs are higher than the sale price of these low-end imported products that manage to imitate, even crudely, traditional-looking products and which deceive the vigilance of buyers.

By low-end, what do I mean? Quite simply the use of toxic or non-living metals sold as precious metals. With the cost of metals, the energy required, ... It is impossible to have a bronze or silver jewel at the prices displayed by these big sellers who aim for volume. Certainly a large sales volume is important but once again the problem comes from the original lie of the origin of these so-called products. I am not talking about counterfeits here but really a lie in the quality of the products. Living metals change color, even gold changes color, this is normal, this is called oxidation, which steel for example does not undergo in the same way and which is an inexpensive, malleable and solid metal but not at all precious.

The same goes for "plated" jewelry sold on websites at very low costs ; you will never have plated jewelry at very low prices because of the cost of gold and the time and tools needed to do it. And when I say the term "gold plated" it is in accordance with the legal standards in force on the European market .

Let's also talk about "artisans" or "creators" who do "artisanal" work but who mix local productions bought for a pittance from a craftsman in need mixed with imported products of the type "made in Africa from China " or even complete Chinese collections labeled local productions sold at knockdown prices to the end customer. Dropshipped product resellers may not even realize that they are busy destroying a traditional, high-quality sector that benefits the entire community and prefer to earn a little by lying about the origin of the jewelry.

The lack of tracking of dropshippers is also problematic, despite the small amount of the order, there is practically no tracking due to the small amounts accumulated massively over a certain period of time. It is not uncommon to see "creators" appear overnight (and disappear very quickly afterwards) and who miraculously become artisans but unable to justify the originality of a product that is a copy and paste found on a simple aliexpress search in a few seconds.

The impact of all this on artisans and creators?

It is both simple and very heavy. It is a real threat to the economic development of a national sector (especially in Senegal ) which is being gangrened by unfair competition and would put many families in a difficult financial situation. It also endangers local crafts which are an important part of our cultural heritage. A local business participates in the local life of a neighborhood and supports several people or even entire families.

Low-end imported products also alter the judgment of customers who think that everything can be negotiated, including the dignity of our craftsmen. It is not possible to negotiate on everything, we can discuss and make efforts on certain points without altering the quality of the creations but the limits are quickly reached. It is impossible to compete with factories that employ virtual slaves on the other side of the world, where ethics are absent and costs are very significantly reduced with a total lack of transparency on all processes.

With the destruction of craftsmanship and therefore of an art of manual work comes the disappearance of creativity, risk-taking and above all of a diversity in the offer proposed up to an ultra-personalization of products or services at prices accessible to all. Because yes, dropshippers offer products designed in factories in mass, standardized products that flow to the 4 corners of the world without any innovation and which will be worn by all.