A new retail space in Omaha’s Old Market is giving local makers a permanent place to sell their goods without the high costs of running a store alone.
Makers Street, which opened June 7 at 1108 Jackson St., operates as a collaborative storefront for small businesses that create handmade products. Founded by Jenna Majkot, Leigha Atkisson, Kristina Halweg and Karla Smith, the shop currently features six vendors selling items ranging from bath and body care to leather goods. By sharing rent, staffing duties and marketing, the collective lowers barriers for creative entrepreneurs. It keeps locally made products in front of both residents and the steady stream of Old Market visitors.
Origins and purpose
The idea for Makers Street began when a retail space became available and the team at Raygun encouraged founder Majkot to “do something cool” with it. At first, she wasn’t sure. But the conversation sparked a bigger vision: a space where small makers could share resources, reduce costs and still have a physical presence in the heart of the city.
“For me individually, as a small maker… it costs, like, $10,000 to open a store with all the paperwork and legality, and that’s not feasible,” Majkot said. “What if it’s a collaborative initiative? So not every small maker is holding the whole burden.”…