Etsy is considering allowing sellers to designate their products as "sustainable," which the marketplace would then promote on its homepage (and elsewhere) by adding a new shopping category. But which types of seller would it help the most?
Etsy conducted a survey this month in which it told sellers it had ideas for helping them highlight certain information about their products related to sustainability.
Most of the terms it listed as possible designations were generic, such as "Organic Ingredients" or "Vegan," but two were terms that indicated sellers had gone further by actually certifying their items: "Leaping Bunny certified" and "FSC-certified wood."
Etsy was also interested in learning about the certifications sellers might have obtained for their items. For example, with regard to items containing organic ingredients, Etsy asked sellers if their products met any certifications such as COSMOS Organic certified, Organic Content Standard Blended, or USDA Organic, among others.
It keyed in on nine sustainability terms, asking respondents, "If Etsy made it possible to indicate these kind of sustainability attributes to buyers, how likely would you be to do so," listing the following options:
- Recycled content (i.e. metal, paper, polyester, nylon)
- Reusable
- Plastic free
- Organic ingredients
- Upcycled
- Vegan
- FSC-certified wood
- Leaping Bunny certified
- Organic cotton
Etsy asked respondents where they would like those designations to appear, providing the following options:
- As an Editor's Pick, or other curated marketing space
- As a filter they can apply when browsing
- In my shop
- As a shoppable category from the homepage
- In the item listing
- As a badge on item thumbnails in search
- At checkout
- In Google ads
- Other
The survey also asked Etsy sellers why they might choose to highlight sustainability attributes, providing options such as conveying item quality, making it easier for buyers to find the information, to make more sales, and to make a positive change in the world.
Etsy appears to consider eBay, Amazon, Artfire, and Bonanza its competitors. In a question asking sellers to reveal which venues on which they sold their goods, it provided the following options from which to choose:
- To friends and family
- Other online sales platforms (e.g., eBay, Amazon, Artfire, Bonanza)
- A retail store I own or operate (physical store, not only a website)
- Consignment
- In-person events (e.g., craft fairs, flea markets, holiday events)
- Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr)
- My own website (e.g. Squarepace, Shopify, WordPress, GoDaddy, Pattern)
- Wholesale (e.g., direct to stores, online wholesale markets, trade shows)
- Other (please specify)
The topic of certification could spark discussion among sellers about the advantage it could give to "resellers" (particularly those from overseas), whom many sellers of handmade and vintage goods believe have overrun the marketplace. And the advantage it could give big sellers versus small.
What do you think of making sustainable items more prominent on Etsy or elsewhere? Would it have any affect on the visibility of your listings on Etsy?
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Should Etsy Allow Sellers to Add a Sustainability Designation?
by: The End