Certification, Clusters, and Creativity: An Analysis of Etsy as a Platform Firm

With the continuous advances in manufacturing methods, shipping options, and digital communication, domestic and global markets have become inundated with cheap, mass produced items and goods. This ‘race to the bottom’ has led to a consumer culture where customers and firms have steadily demanded lower and lower prices, leading to even more aggressive pushes in outsourced and offshored work, re-locating of production to lower wage countries, and stricter time limits on shipping. Resulting goods offered in the market are typically cheaply made and of lower quality, which has in turn re-emphasized an increasing desire for “authentic” goods...

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