Seller Handbook

When 2.7 million people work together, amazing things can happen. I wanted to take a moment to recognise what we’ve all accomplished in the past few weeks. You’ve shown the world how much impact a community of makers can have.

You rose to the challenge and made masks for millions

During this global health crisis, the needs of shoppers are changing rapidly. We put out a call for masks and Etsy sellers responded immediately. Since 3rd April, Etsy sellers have sold hundreds of thousands of face masks each day – nearly 50,000 sellers have sold at least one mask.

Etsy also stepped up to get masks to the essential workers who needed them most. With your help, and in partnership with Nest, a non-profit dedicated to building the handmade economy, Etsy is donating masks and covers to frontline workers and vulnerable communities.

We invested millions in advertising to increase traffic to your shops

Etsy invested millions of dollars in a new global ad campaign with the goal of bringing more shoppers to the site; our ads are currently airing on TV in the United States and on streaming sites and social media around the world. You can watch them on our YouTube. We spread this message even further with our #StandWithSmall campaign to remind shoppers that a purchase from Etsy supports independent sellers who remain open for business through this crisis.

In addition to our ad campaign and #StandWithSmall, Etsy invested more than $5 million USD in Offsite Ads credits to bring more shoppers to Etsy and promote your products across the web.

We made sure independent business owners were included in major bills and relief packages

Together we fought to make sure small business owners like you were included in coronavirus aid packages. I’m right there with you in this fight. I’ve spoken directly to members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to advocate for micro-businesses. I also wrote opinion pieces for Fortune magazine and The Hill telling legislators – and the world – how important it is to include the self-employed in these bills.

You did your part too: In the US, more than 30,000 sellers wrote to representatives, encouraging them to include micro-business owners and the self-employed in the Coronavirus Aids, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Acts, which was signed into law in the United States on 27th March. In the United Kingdom and European Union, we also rallied sellers to ensure that small business owners would get the support they needed during this time – thousands of you responded and wrote to your local lawmakers.

Sellers made nearly $1.4 billion USD in sales during the first quarter

Our ability to quickly respond to shoppers’ changing needs led to a successful first quarter for Etsy in 2020.

Sellers sold nearly $1.4 billion USD in goods. We call this gross merchandise sales or GMS. That’s a 32% increase in GMS compared to the same time period in 2019. Our television advertising efforts are bringing more shoppers to Etsy too. Active buyers on Etsy grew 16% in the first quarter, to 48 million!

International GMS, or transactions where at least one person (buyer or seller) is outside the United States, was 36% of overall GMS. That’s up 25% compared to the same time last year, showing that the Etsy brand is truly a global presence.

These results showcase the meaningful economic impact makers and independent business owners can have.

Note: These numbers include results from Reverb, a music gear marketplace owned by Etsy.

We’re just getting started

This is a challenging time, but it’s temporary. At Etsy, we’re committed to helping Etsy sellers thrive no matter what’s going on in the world. We’ll continue to give you the support you need – we’ve got your back.

If you’re looking for more tips and advice on running your shop during this time, check out the Ultimate Guide to Running Your Shop During COVID-19 or reach out to Etsy Support. We’re in this together, and our team is here to help 24/7.