In response to Etsy’s recent policy change banning adult toys effective Spicerack has launched just in time to support artisans affected by this decision.
Currently, Spicerack is open to sellers worldwide but only to U.S. customers, with plans to expand to Canada and Europe in the coming months. This expansion can’t come quickly enough for sellers based in Europe who don’t ship to the US.
We’ve got to be realistic about this new marketplace, their traffic has more than doubled in the past two months, according to SimilarWeb rising from 5.6k visits in April to 13.6k visits in June. It’s impossible to tell if this is the rush of sellers setting up accounts or if it is buyers ready to spend. However, sex sells, porn accelerated many early internet technologies so once sex toys disappear from Etsy there’s a fair chance that with marketing that Spicerack could see a big uplift in traffic.
Spicerack’s development began over a year ago, following the inconsistent deactivation of adult listings from our sister company, Twisted Fantasies, on the Etsy platform. Recognizing the need for a reliable marketplace, Spicerack was conceived to provide a stable and supportive environment for artisans specialising in adult-centric products. Spicerack is quickly becoming a crucial alternative for sellers displaced by Etsy’s new policies.
– Avi Goldstein, CEO, Spicerack
Since its launch seven weeks ago, Spicerack has already attracted over 100 active shops, with an additional 130 in the process of setting up. Notably, half of these new shops joined following Etsy’s announcement last Friday, highlighting the urgent need for such a platform.
To ensure Spicerack maintains its integrity, shops will be vetted to maintain the integrity of the platform. Spicerack offers personal seller support saying that their mission is to provide a dependable and welcoming marketplace where artisans can thrive without fear of sudden policy changes.
Spicerack fees are refreshing low – just 5% platform fee of the sales amount (including shipping fees), with no subscriptions or mandatory advertising programmes. Payments are via PayPal so there will also be their cut of 3.49% + $.49 making total fees to sell around 8.5% of the final order value.
Spicerack will be introducing several new programs to help its artisans promote their products, including a product launch program, limited edition events, and an influencer matchmaking feature. This feature will allow shops to negotiate directly with vetted and community-rated social media influencers and other content creators to promote their products.
Additionally, Spicerack is developing innovative technology that will allow customers to shop on the platform together with their friends and partners from separate locations. Shopping for adult toys or erotic apparel in person can be uncomfortable for some people said CEO Avi, adding that they want to enable customers to enjoy the comfort and anonymity of online shopping with the social aspect of a joint shopping trip that, until now, could only be done in person.
One Response
This will not succeed as Paypal also does not want to service the Sextoys market place so back to square one.