In a growing world of micro-businesses, research from an online security labelling company can reveal that over 50% of people use Etsy because of their selection of unique and personalised items. As more people step away from popular high street brands and eCommerce giants such as eBay and Amazon, online marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular.
The rise of the Etsy micro businesses has seen a switch by shoppers from online high street stores and well-known brands to independent sellers and marketplaces. As more people are joining the kitchen table workforce and starting their own creative businesses, with part of this being to open an Etsy store to sell their products on, an online security labelling company has looked into the reasons for the change.
Recent research by www.seareach.plc.uk suggests that shoppers flock to Etsy for unique and personalised items. The online security labelling company surveyed over 1000 online shoppers to find out how popular the global marketplace is. The results showed that over 30% of respondents had shopped on Etsy. They were then asked to select the reasons for choosing to shop there:
- I wanted a unique or personalised item – 58%
- Their selection of independent sellers – 40%
- Selection of items for sale – 33%
- Prefer to shop from independent sellers rather than chain stores – 10%
- Niche items available – 2%
Seareach found that only 16% of shoppers had not heard of Etsy, whilst 53% of people had not shopped there before. Etsy was launched in 2005 and has helped see an increase in the microbusiness workforce. Microbusinesses are a powerful economic driver; their distinct difference from small businesses is that their workforce doesn’t exceed 9 employees. In the UK there are over 5 million micro-businesses whilst in the US, the independent workforce includes 55 million people and brings in $1 trillion in earnings.
In the US, 97% of Etsy sellers run their own business from home, and for 32% of these people, it is their sole occupation. Additionally, 53% work independently (on their own) and only 32% have traditional full-time jobs. 72% of the sellers on Etsy consider their shop to be a business. Women also make up the largest percentage of sellers on Etsy – 87%.
Speaking about the study, Stuart Jailler at Seareach commented:
“Websites such as Amazon have had some bad press over the last few years, from allegedly not paying enough tax to the poor working conditions of their staff so it is no surprise shoppers are slowly moving away from them. Etsy has stepped into the area easily, offering unique products that you can’t find elsewhere online or on the high street.”
He added:
“Etsy also offers small independent sellers or microbusinesses a way to get a foothold in the marketplace without having to spend time or money building their own bespoke website. This has allowed shoppers to easily find unique items or items which can be personalised easily, and allows them to shop from independent sellers rather than big name brands. As people’s shopping habits change, I can only see the popularity of sites such as Etsy increasing.”
