EcommerceBytes-NewsFlash, Number 2951 - December 06, 2012     3 of 5

Etsy Launches Shopping Apps for iPad and Android

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Every hour, more than 10,000 items and shops are "favorited" on Etsy from a mobile device. As Etsy told members in an announcement about a new mobile app, "That's a lot of hearts from a handheld."

The online marketplace released its Etsy for iPhone last year, which has been downloaded 3.5 million times, and in the past week, Etsy has launched the Etsy for iPad mobile app for Apple iPad users and Etsy for Android mobile app for devices built on Google's Android operating system.

As with other marketplaces, Etsy reported high growth in sales coming from mobile devices over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson said almost 1 in 3 visitors were shopping Etsy from mobile devices compared to 1 in 4 on a typical day.

Features on the Etsy for iPad app include Explore by your interests: Jewelry, Art, Kids, Holidays, Home & Living, and more; Shop gift ideas for anyone on your list (Hostess, Pet Lovers, DIYers,...); Browse other members' favorite items; Discover trends and lifestyle content curated by our editors; and Read the creative stories behind Etsy shops.

Features on the Etsy for Android app include the ability to browse other members' favorite items and shops and make purchases directly from a phone or tablet. The Android app is launching in English, French, Dutch, and German.

In response to a seller who said she was disappointed there were no seller tools included on the apps, an administrator said, "We're working on getting seller tools in the iPad app. We hear you!" and Etsy spokesperson Adam Brown said the first version of its Android app was geared toward shoppers. "We will be building on this foundation in the future," he said.

Users can shop the entire Etsy marketplace (over 17 million items) using the mobile apps.

About the author:

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com.
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