Quirky.im – bringing the best the island has to offer to your doorstep.
Quirky.im is a marketplace where Manx businesses can sell their fabulous products and produce online. Everything from food and drink, art and collectibles, health, beauty, home and garden. jewellery and so much more. If you want to shop local for something a bit ‘quirky’ or take back a memento of your visit to our wonderful island, then Quirky.im is the place for you.
What is the inspiration behind Quirky? In 2016 I created the Manx Art Directory website as a way to raise the profile of local artists. The website helped to make visual artists in the Isle of Man more accessible, but was constrained by the lack of a shopping facility.
Having discussed a number of ideas with friends in the art world I decided that there was a place for a website that would enable all kinds of Manx businesses – not just artists and makers – to sell from a dedicated online platform. A one-stop shop to enable people to shop local and for friends, family and visitors from all around the world to be able to access the best the island has to offer. And so Quirky.im was born.
This has been made possible because of the generosity, skills and expertise of Owen Cutajar in sorting out all the technical aspects of setting up the site. I’d also like to thank Mike Radcliffe for the use of his beautiful photographs throughout the pages, and all of the sellers who put their trust in us and listed their products before we went live.
And finally, why Quirky? Well the Isle of Man has a large number of unique and distinctive surnames linked to its exciting and turbulent past. Lots of these names begin with the letter Q including the name Quirk!
I hope that local residents will use and love it and also that friends and family from further afield will appreciate the convenience of being able to select products from ‘home’. And then of course, there are all those other lovely people around the world for whom the island holds a special place. Quirky.im is our gift to all of you – made with love in the Isle of Man.
