I’ve moved away from Etsy
It always feels a bit scary when you go against such a behemoth of a platform and change the state of play.
On the 28th of February, I moved away from Etsy. For some that might not seem like a bold statement to make, but for me, it is.
I have had an Etsy shop for a long time, since 2016 in fact. Back then it was a very different platform to what it has evolved into now.
If I were cynical, I would comment that floating Etsy on the stock marketing was not a great move, there have been a lot of job cuts within Etsy recently and as a result, automation is being used instead of actual people. For a company that has a supposed emphasis on ‘selling handmade, craft and vintage items’ they have a funny way of showing it…
I would like to say I was still enjoying being part of the platform, but in truth, I haven’t been for a long time. Etsy has changed and evolved rapidly in the last 2 years especially, and not in a way that benefits sellers.
With that in mind, I moved away from Etsy. Not entirely however, I am still using the platform to enable me to sell to Canada, USA and Australia.
I do want to fully switch to my own shop, but I am in the process of double checking import duties and taxes etc. I want to make sure that I am doing all I can to cover what is needed, and you, my customers, won’t get stung with additional fees that could’ve been avoided. Selling to the EU however, is currently hampered by yet more regulations, so I am currently unable to sell there also. GPSR what a joy…
One of the main reasons I wanted to shift my shops are the fees Etsy now takes. When I first set up my shop is 2016, the fees were:
Etsy 2016:
$0.20p listing fee per item
5% transaction fee of the order total
Here is how much they take now vs my Squarespace shop:
Etsy 2025:
$0.20p listing fee per item
4% + £0.20p processing fee of the order total
6.5% transaction fee of the order total
6.5% of the postage total
0.32% regulatory fee
x4 lots of VAT on all of the above AND the automatic enrolment in their marketing fees ‘Etsy Offsite Ads’.
They take a whopping 15% per click, oh and if your shop makes over $10,000 USD a year YOU CAN’T OPT OUT…EVER! But they will decrease it to a 12% fee…if that is even any kind of compensation.
Squarespace:
1.5% transaction fee - through Stripe
That is a HUGE difference! By having my own shop I can still make a good profit without having to consistently increase prices to keep in line with all of the additional Etsy fees. Which will make it cheaper for you as well.
I am also not being charged for any postage fees I add to your order, so I can offer better postage services, First Class, and Tracked 24/48 options without worrying that Etsy will take a % of this cost too!
It always feels a bit scary when you go against such a behemoth of a platform and change the state of play. Even when you know it is morally the right decision for you and your business.
Etsy essentially is also a search engine, and a powerful one. Of course people will say, build up your website and SEO first and get good traction and clicks on Google etc before switching over, and I am doing that, and have been doing that for a long time.
Sometimes though, I think you know when you want to take that leap. For me, now is that time. If we all waited until something was perfect before committing, then I don’t think we would ever do anything. Done is better than perfect!
I am excited to make my shop my own, and build on what I already have. I want to sell zines, sketchbook prompts to help you if you’re stuck as a downloadable PDF, more original pieces AND…
I am currently planning and creating a whole new print range, that will be provided by a drop shipping service, so I should be able to sell my prints internationally - including the EU! That is why my current print selection seems small and with very low stock.
To celebrate launching my own shop, and to say thank you for all of your support so far, I’ve created some limited edition postcards to give to the first 20 orders! Some of you helped me choose a couple of weeks ago, 5 have already gone, there are only 15 left!
I’ve used some of my illustrations from my landscape sketchbooks. I have wanted to create something from those illustrations for ages, and this launch seemed like the right time.
If you want to take a peek, you can here, or head to abbycook.co.uk/shop
I have also created a mini edit in time for Mother's Day, and there is still time to place an order and have it arrive in time for the 30th of March.
I also welcome any feedback you might have. Tell me what you like, what you don’t, the functionality, listing descriptions, what you want to see more of/what you would like to buy? There will always be things I can improve on.
So, there we are. I have finally made the leap and moved away from Etsy. I think in total it has been on my mind for well over a year, so it feels like a weight has been lifted now I have finally done it.
Do you sell on Etsy? How do you find it? I appreciate that for some, it works really well and they sell enough that the fees make it worth it.
Also, if you sell your own creative goodness, share your shop in the comments, I want to see it.
Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement, what a lovely community we have!
Until next time,
