Mi Tienda de Arte

€22.3 million in revenue. 318,000 orders to sell 2.63 million products from its 73,000 product lines in stock. Nearly one million monthly users in 39 countries worldwide.

These are the incredible business figures with which the e-commerce Mi tienda de arte closed 2022. Astounding figures, but not as much as knowing what's behind this business: the people who have enabled a family-owned store, located in the historic center of León, to make the leap to digital to grow and to bring its purpose to more people, in more countries. And all this, without losing sight of what had brought them there: a purpose, strategic decisions, and teamwork.

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Víctor Juárez told us that his grandfather used to say that past successes do not guarantee future successes. That's why, at Mi tienda de arte, they have continuously focused on the next steps to take to keep growing honestly and sustainably.

In this pursuit, almost two years ago, during the summer of 2021, one of the paths they chose was to strategically develop the brand. Growth? Authenticity? Sustainability? Mi tienda de arte and Soluble clicked instantly, so we set to work on transforming their brand into an asset with an impact on business growth.

After many weeks, many months, and a lot of hard work, the first part of this project is finally seeing the light of day with the rebranding of Mi tienda de arte, which has merged with its international version, now known as Craftelier in all markets, and the redesign of its e-commerce. It's time to share what happened 'behind the scenes'. And this is just the beginning.

One brand: two names and two e-commerce sites

From the outset, our objectives were clear: to develop the brand to facilitate business growth, help them connect with more people, and, in doing so, streamline the team's work, especially regarding internationalization.

The starting point presented some complexities. On one hand, the digital origin of this brand was mitiendadearte.com At that initial stage, the goal was to be the platform where enthusiasts of crafts and fine arts could find all kinds of materials.

Another element that had complicated Mi tienda de arte's situation at that time was its internationalization through Craftelier, a brand with a name more adaptable to the new markets they were entering. Its website craftelier.com retained all the elements of the Spanish version, only changing the language to English, although it was also available in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish.

A single brand with two names and two different e-commerce platforms. What else would we find? Discovering this required a deep dive: interviews, surveys, team workshops, and market research. These listening exercises allowed us to conduct the initial strategic analysis and identify which elements facilitated and which could hinder the growth we sought.

Our Driving Purpose

After meeting both the founding and current teams, speaking with customers, and understanding the environment in which Mi tienda de arte operated, we realized that what truly drove the brand was a purpose that had been present since the first day they opened their store in the center of León: to remove the barriers separating people from their creativity, giving them the freedom to create authentically and without fear of imperfection.

This would be the core of their strategy, complemented by all the other necessary elements to complete their rebranding, including positioning, personality, pillars, concept, and more.

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Beyond the strategic platform, during this initial phase of work, we gained several key insights that would be fundamental for the next steps. For instance, the audiences we targeted were differentiated more by their interests and concerns than by their purchasing location or language. We also recognized the value of their extensive catalog, both in terms of product references and variety within each category. It was equally revealing to understand that, organically, the brand had solidified with a personality and positioning close to a very specific audience within the entire spectrum of arts and crafts enthusiasts. However, this focus on scrapbooking and its universe did not reflect the brand's full scope.

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Bold Steps for a Sustainable Brand

Therefore, just as important as establishing the strategic tools that would guide us in the rebranding and reformulation of the brand, was deciding the role of brand architecture in ensuring the growth we sought.

This led us to the first conclusion: Mi tienda de arte and Craftelier were a single niche brand for a very specific audience, sharing everything except their names.

The other major conclusion was that a brand was needed to address the team's true ambition and purpose. An umbrella brand was necessary to encompass the essence that has made them one of the country's most inspiring digital projects. A brand was needed that would become a space from which to respond to different niches.

These conclusions meant taking bold steps.

The first was to address the rebranding of Mi tienda de arte and Craftelier as a single niche brand.

The second, to create a new brand that would address the needs of another niche of creators.

And the third, to support the Mi tienda de arte team in that evolution towards an umbrella brand that would encompass those niche brands, an ecosystem of growth and, above all, freedom to create.