Etsy is rolling out a new app for sellers, as improvements continue in the months following a fee increase for the makers who offer handmade and vintage items through the marketplace.
The new Etsy Seller app is designed to replace the existing Sell on Etsy app, which will be sunsetted at the end of the year.
According to a post from the company, sellers can use the app to do the following:
- Check order statuses and get insights, like whether they have a repeat customer.
- Add photos and listing videos directly from a mobile device.
- Access order details when messaging a buyer and utilize saved replies to respond quickly to common questions.
- Purchase and print shipping labels via the app.
- Manage inventory and access detailed insights about their shop’s performance.
Etsy said it is making the changes based on requests from the seller community, and will continue to do so.
“The new Etsy Seller app’s technology enables us to more quickly roll out updates based on seller feedback, so we’ll continue to add features and iterate as we go,” wrote SVP of Product Kruti Patel Goyal. “We’ve already planned a number of exciting updates in the coming months.”
This is just the latest development in Etsy's seller community this year. In April, Etsy upped its transaction fee for its 5.3 million sellers from 5% to 6.5% – a 30% increase. At the time, the company said the increase came after its marketing spend nearly quadrupled. The company added that it was set to invest in seller features, including safety and IP protection measures, customer support and a Star Seller program that rewards sellers who have exceptional service with badges.
The fee increase was met with some derision that spilled out in public, as 5,000 sellers went on strike in April 2022. An organizer told the Daily Beast that the transaction fee increase was the “final straw” in relations with the platform. At the time, organizers said they were exploring the potential of forming a union.
For its part, Etsy said the fee increase was in part designed to reinvest back into the platform for sellers.
Along with the initial initiatives it announced, Etsy in June rolled out a purchase protection program designed to provide buyers with a full refund for items that didn’t match expectations. This included an investment of at least $25 million per year to cover refunds up to $250 for sellers.
"Easy issue resolution is a critical part of the ecommerce shopping experience, and our new Etsy Purchase Protection program aims to help make shopping on Etsy even more worry free," Etsy COO Raina Moskowitz said when the program was announced. "This program will help buyers feel more confident when they shop from small businesses on Etsy, while we invest directly in our sellers to provide them an important layer of assurance."
The protection program's details came in June, and it launches August 1. The app rollout is now arriving in July. Even as the strike moves into the rearview mirror, there are signs of continued efforts at Etsy's Brooklyn HQ to show that the marketplace is working to improve offerings for sellers.
