Reports suggest that the Etsy Wholesale programme is being scaled back. Are you familiar with the programme? It is a way for Etsy creators and producers of fabulous things to connect with high street retailers. So, as an example, if you make beautiful lampshades, Etsy Wholsesale could help you get them in front of stock buyers and hopefully then for sale in a big department store.
Etsy Wholesale hasn’t been discontinued altogether yet but there are clues that it has fallen from favour. Users note that emails to support regarding the service are now going answered. And the social media profile is now also diminished. The dedicated Instagram in recent months has ceased to be updated and has now been deleted altogether and the Etsy Wholesale website is, reportedly, not longer being updated. Etsy has commented somewhat cryptically on the situation:
Wholesale sellers rely on Etsy to bring them buyers through visibility on our platform. Our goal is to continue to enhance that discoverability over the course of 2018 and beyond. Driving the wholesale buyer to seller connection aligns with our business strategy of focusing on the value of the core Etsy.com marketplace. We’re currently evaluating the best way to do that and we will update our wholesale community when we have more information.
– Etsy spokesperson
It seems safe to say that the amount of energy being expended by Etsy on this wholesale service is much diminished. And this seems like another example of reform under the new Etsy regime from insurgent CEO Josh Silverman, previously of eBay and Skype. His approach has been to cut costs, and quite a number of employees have been laid off, and refocus the business on the core strengths and capabilities. So far, it does look like his approach is successful. In the last quarter on 2017, Etsy enjoyed its first billion dollar three months in sales.
Are you a producer or artisan who has been using Etsy Wholsesale? Will you be sorry to see its demise?
