How we decide what makes it into our catalogue (and what doesn't)

Not every beautiful product makes it onto our platform. And that's the point.

Our catalogue isn't a random collection of products, it's a selection - and a considered one. Behind every product that makes it to Merchery is a process of evaluation that most people never see: a quiet back-and-forth between inspiration, logistics, craftsmanship, and conviction.

We sat down with the person driving that process on the US side to talk about where ideas come from, what gets cut, and what she'd add tomorrow if she could.

The curation

Where do you find inspiration for the catalogue?

Honestly, less from other merch catalogues than you'd think. I spend a lot of time in independent design shops, small-batch manufacturers, and trade shows that have nothing to do with "corporate gifting" on the surface: furniture fairs, stationery expos, even fashion trend reports. If a material or maker is doing something interesting in their own category, I want to know if it can translate. I also pay close attention to what our own team reaches for without being told to. That's usually a better signal than any trend report.

How many products do you look at before one actually makes it in?

Somewhere around 20 to 1. We're constantly sourcing, samples arrive all the time, but most things get filtered out early on fit, quality, or scalability. The ones that make it through all three rounds (concept, sample, production feasibility) are genuinely a small slice of what crosses my desk.

Is there one thing a product absolutely has to have for you to consider it?

It has to earn its place off a shelf, not just on one. I always ask: would someone actually use this, or does it just look nice in a product shot? If I can't picture it in daily rotation, a bag someone actually carries, a mug someone actually reaches for, it doesn't matter how well it photographs.It has to earn its place off a shelf, not just on one. I always ask: would someone actually use this, or does it just look nice in a product shot? If I can't picture it in daily rotation, a bag someone actually carries, a mug someone actually reaches for, it doesn't matter how well it photographs.

The craft

Is there a material or craft technique you're particularly drawn to right now?

Right now I'm drawn to natural-dyed textiles - plant and mineral dyes instead of synthetic ones. There's something about a technique that requires real skill and a bit of imperfection that feels like the opposite of mass-produced swag. No two pieces dye exactly alike. It's also a gentler process, with far less wastewater and chemical runoff than conventional dyeing, which matters to us. And it tends to age well, which matters more to me than a product looking perfect on day one.

The personal

Is there a brand you carry that most people wouldn't expect to find in a merch context?

Alessi surprises people every time. It's a brand people associate with design museums and wedding registries, not corporate gifting. But that's exactly why I wanted it in the catalogue: it proves that "merch" doesn't have to mean logo-slapped and disposable. When a client can hand someone an Alessi moka pot instead of another branded water bottle, that's the moment they realise the bar has moved.

If you could choose one product for yourself from the catalogue, which one would you pick?

The Carhartt Detroit jacket, no contest. Carhartt has over a century of workwear history behind it, and the jacket has that rare quality of getting better with wear instead of worse. It's the item I point to when someone asks what "good merch" actually looks like: something with its own legacy that a logo gets to share, not lean on.

If you could add one dream product or brand tomorrow, what would it be and why?

Aesop, hands down. It's a bigger swing than most of what we carry, since skincare isn't a category people expect from a merch catalogue at all, but that's exactly the point. People already love it in their personal lives, so bringing it in wouldn't feel like a stretch. It would feel inevitable. That's the bar I want everything to clear.

Curious about what else made the cut? Browse the full catalogue at merchery.co.