If you are in the UK and sell on Etsy

[Avihoot]

Have you noticed a significant downturn in sales this year compared to last year? I am just a casual seller, I don't have a business as such, but the last couple of years I have done very well, particularly in the lead up to Christmas. In fact, demand for my goods has been a bit overwhelming at times, but obviously, it has been great to make money doing something I enjoy.

But this year, business is very slow. I am selling the same things as before. I don't put any effort into marketing etc, but then I never did. I am just wondering what the difference is this year. Can anyone relate or explain?

[KatyMac]

I am about to start Etsy and this is something I do keep hearing

Is it to do with the postage thing, do you think?

[Avihoot]

I did wonder that. I don't sell things of a high enough value to warrant offering free postage and a lot of my sales last year were to the States, but not all by any means. But if not offering free postage means Etsy has shoved all my listings to the back of the pile, then, yes, I suppose that is going to have an impact. I've also stopped listing on eBay because the rudeness of customers wasn't worth it, but I am not including that in my calculation of downturn of business.

Oh well, it was only a bit of fun for me, not a proper business. It's a shame though, that Etsy feel the need to squeeze out the little man.

What sort of business were you looking to start there @KatyMac?

[mrsjackrussell]

I sell on Etsy and Iv done better this year compared to last but I think it's to do with the fact Iv got many more items listed now. It is so hard to sell on there as the market is saturated.
I think a lot of my customers come through Instagram and Pinterest. I would like more sales but I don't think my items are being seen. I might try folksy aswell.

[mrsjackrussell]

Oh and Iv had free postage to the uk this past 2 weeks and no difference at all. If anything I sell more to the US lately than anywhere else.

[YouJustDoYou]

Absoluetly. Without paying in to the new subscription schemes, and giving free shipping to the US, I'm just not getting even half the sales as lastyear.

[KatyMac]

I make children's (and some adult) clothes out of reclaimed household fabrics and I embellish jackets with tapestry/embroidered pictures

[KatyMac]

Sorry I was having a bit of a day yesterday 240 children and 495 costumes for a ballet show!

So is there an alternative to etsy? Where should we be selling?

[KatyMac]

I opened my folksy store yesterday - fingers crossed

[Avihoot]

Oh well done Katymac. I looked into it and saw you could list 3 items for free. I am still considering it.

[KatyMac]

You can pay for one month list everything then cancel and they will stay listed for 4 months (I think) so I am getting my 30 or so on asap

[KatyMac]

I think you can import from Etsy?

[Avihoot]

What puts me off - maybe stupidly - is that the site seems so small. If I listed an item, I am fairly sure it would be seen by anyone seeking that sort of item, but will anyone look, I wonder? Does anyone, apart from crafters, know about folksy? I know that etsy is slightly known outside the crafting world at least. Can you tell me, can you see how many people have viewed your listings? If you can, it might be worth listing something just to see if anyone looks at it.

Another reason I am hovering is that, since starting this thread, I have received an uptake of interest and sales on etsy. I am actually doing as well as I did this time last year, at the moment.

[KatyMac]

Does this help?

Remember I started making/selling on 1st Sept & my folksy yesterday

[KatyMac]

found this too

Way better than Nu-Monday barely had 3 views an item in 2 months

I think this is yesterday btw as I only put 3 up to start with

[HalfManHalfLabrador]

I don’t sell anything, I frequently browse Etsy and buy handmade jewellery etc but I’ve never heard of folksy before reading this thread if that helps @Avihoot

[Avihoot]

Thanks @KatyMac, that is interesting. And yes @HalfManHalfLabrador, that pretty much confirms my impression. But KatyMac has received some views so someone just be looking. Maybe I'll try listing 3 free items. Nothing but my time to lose eh?

[Avihoot]

must be looking

[KatyMac]

Yes I guess so

As an Etsy viewer - how doe sthe free postage to America come across @HalfManHalfLabrador

[MrTumblePulledAKnifeOnMe]

The Etsy groups I'm in are full of posts of no views, no sales, christmas rush not started etc. I think the issue is across other platforms too, I know Amazon Handmade are having similar issues. My Amazon is dead, but Etsy is extremely busy for me at the moment.

[KatyMac]

These are my stats today - so not fab but not awful

[MrTumblePulledAKnifeOnMe]

Couple of questions; does anyone feel the christmas rush has started yet?

And what do you feel about the new ODR? My views are it's good we can now see it, but the threshold is ridiculously low.

[KatyMac]

I haven't done it before so I know nothing about Christmas

And I don't understand "And what do you feel about the new ODR? My views are it's good we can now see it, but the threshold is ridiculously low."

[Avihoot]

Any sales yet @Katymac? Sorry, I dropped off this thread. Ironically, after starting it, my Etsy sales picked up and for a while now I have been doing slightly better than I did last year but only with one product, which is a bit annoying. It is an Etsy bestseller and I think that means Etsy put it on the first page when people search for it which makes it prominent and generates more sales. But none of my other products are receiving much attention at all, and virtually no sales, which is a definite downturn from previous years. So how anyone would be doing who hasn't already established a bestselling product, I do not know.

To answer your question @MrTumblePulledAKnifeOnMe, yes, I think the Christmas rush is strongest throughout November until about mid December. The weekend following Thanksgiving is usually the busiest. Is that this weekend or next? Oh and echoing Katymac, what does ODR stand for?

[KatyMac]

I'm selling at fairs more than online really