Although it is advertised as a co-op Artique is in fact a DBA created and owned by two individuals for their benefit only. All profits go to the two owners. Venders, who are also renters, have absolutely no say in how the business is operated.
Vendors are required to sign a lease agreement which states that any one vender can't sell something that another vender is already selling, this policy is almost never enforced and in my situation, was never enforced when another vender starting selling the same products as me.
Frequent shopper cards with a $10 discount were given to shoppers but then when redeemed I would be assessed a 10% charge on my higher-priced merchandise. When I complained that this was unfair and inequitable and that I wanted to see how discounts were applied to my sales I was told that there was no system in place to track how discounts were applied.
Every vendor is required to work twelve hours per month or else pay a penalty of $25 per four hours not worked. Not only is this below minimum wage, which is illegal, but venders who were short on their hours were not required to make them up which meant that other vendors (like me) who were closely scrutinized would have to cover these missed hours by being alone behind the cash register with no manager on duty and also having to stay late.
On a number of occasions I noticed that after a vendor would leave, Artique's owners would begin selling the former vendor's product in their own areas. So Artique's owners use (and abuse) their existing venders to conduct market research essentially paid for by the vendors twice (through rent and product discounts) so that when the vender either left voluntarily or was forced out by non-renewal (all leases are at will and can be terminated at any time and without cause (illegal in my opinion)), the owners could and do profit by taking on a product line pioneered by the former vender.
I would never recommend that anyone become a vender in Artique and I would encourage prospective customers not to patronize this store and ultimately put money in the pockets of its two very disingenuous owners.
Artique Reviews
Although it is advertised as a co-op Artique is in fact a DBA created and owned by two individuals for their benefit only. All profits go to the two owners. Venders, who are also renters, have absolutely no say in how the business is operated.
Vendors are required to sign a lease agreement which states that any one vender can't sell something that another vender is already selling, this policy is almost never enforced and in my situation, was never enforced when another vender starting selling the same products as me.
Frequent shopper cards with a $10 discount were given to shoppers but then when redeemed I would be assessed a 10% charge on my higher-priced merchandise. When I complained that this was unfair and inequitable and that I wanted to see how discounts were applied to my sales I was told that there was no system in place to track how discounts were applied.
Every vendor is required to work twelve hours per month or else pay a penalty of $25 per four hours not worked. Not only is this below minimum wage, which is illegal, but venders who were short on their hours were not required to make them up which meant that other vendors (like me) who were closely scrutinized would have to cover these missed hours by being alone behind the cash register with no manager on duty and also having to stay late.
On a number of occasions I noticed that after a vendor would leave, Artique's owners would begin selling the former vendor's product in their own areas. So Artique's owners use (and abuse) their existing venders to conduct market research essentially paid for by the vendors twice (through rent and product discounts) so that when the vender either left voluntarily or was forced out by non-renewal (all leases are at will and can be terminated at any time and without cause (illegal in my opinion)), the owners could and do profit by taking on a product line pioneered by the former vender.
I would never recommend that anyone become a vender in Artique and I would encourage prospective customers not to patronize this store and ultimately put money in the pockets of its two very disingenuous owners.