Although nothing quite beats strolling through backstreets or courtyards and stumbling across a local furniture atelier, a jewellery designer or perhaps a carpenter’s showroom, the world of e-commerce has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few decades and is at the best of times far too tempting. Gone are the primitive days of online shopping, now we can expect everything from individual retailers to giant companies as well as advanced technologies and innovation.
The ease with which an e-commerce site can be set up makes the market extremely accessible for novices and experts alike. Online platforms like Etsy, Not on the High Street or Farfetch have transformed every Tom, Dick and Harry into a savvy e-commerce retailer. In addition to this, setting up your own e-commerce site couldn’t be easier; there are a number of providers like 1&1 who do much of the dirty work and allow you to reap the rewards.
When it comes to luxury items, recent technological advancements have contributed greatly to the spread of expensive or designer items online; heaps of improvements have been made in the way of secure payment options. With that in mind, we asked the e-commerce experts over at SaleSource for their pick of the very best online shops that specialise in luxury items and services.
1stdibs
This platform is mostly associated with antique dealers and galleries. It’s an excellent place to find rare one-of-a-kind and luxury items that you’ll never let go. The fine art section is particularly exciting as they partner up with galleries from all around the world and offer some of their most prized pieces. The vintage clothes selection is also quite impressive and features pieces by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Gianni Versace and Moschino; it even allows you to search by different periods. 1stdibs offer the true meaning of vintage clothing.
Labour and Wait
This design shop is something quite special. It sells everything from household items to garden or stationery accessories; nothing is too over the top but everything is extremely functional. The great thing about Labour and Wait is that they avoid items that will fall in or out of trend and focus on timeless objects instead.
Susan Caplan
This vintage jewellery store really impresses with its beautifully crafted luxury jewellery. The Scandinavian-inspired jewellery is lavish yet understated and handmade in the UK. It features simple pieces with subtle injections of red carnelian, green egate and fluorite gila.
Rachel Bates
As previously mentioned, Rachel Bates set out in 2015 with the hopes of setting up her own curated online boutique. Two years later and this shop is one of the most respected stores for luxury items like porcelain, crystalware, champagne sets and so on. Even just browsing through the site will extend your wish list.
