Etsy Reaches 10 Million Sellers – 32 Etsy Statistics You Need to Know

Etsy added nearly three million sellers over the past twelve months, more than double compared to the previous period. It started 2020 with less than seven million sellers and now has ten million. The number of sellers joining the marketplace is still accelerating, continuing the growth spurt started by the pandemic.

Etsy is adding more than 300,000 new sellers every month, according to Marketplace Pulse research. Over the three years leading up to the pandemic, it was adding roughly 100,000 on average, a number that remained stable since the start of 2017. It started to accelerate in April 2020, and by April 2021, it reached three times the previous figure.

United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, France, India, Turkey, Russia, and Spain are the most common countries of the newly joined sellers (in that order).

Despite millions of sellers competing for a sale, many manage to make at least one – 30% of the nearly three million sellers have already sold at least one item. Although just 0.5% sold more than a thousand items, confirming the Marketplaces Power Law.

Some of the newly joined sellers never became active, and many existing sellers churn. Nevertheless, the number of active sellers on Etsy – sellers with products listed for sale – has more than doubled over the past twelve months. That allowed Etsy to surpass 100 million products for sale; it had 60 million a year ago.

Both the supply side and demand side of Etsy has doubled over the past twelve months. There are twice as many sellers listing products for sale, and there are twice as many monthly visitors.

Etsy used the surging demand for face masks early in the pandemic to accelerate growth for all handmade and vintage goods on its platform. That allowed Etsy to reach $10 billion in GMV in 2020, more than double than 2019. So far in 2021, sales on Etsy have remained elevated, and thus Q1 results will also show roughly 100% growth, according to Marketplace Pulse estimates.

Be honest: When you think of Etsy, what comes to mind? Chunky knitted scarves? Hand-painted wine glasses or coffee mugs? Kitschy wooden signs?

I had the same reaction—until I started looking into the ecommerce platform. Etsy does offer these products, of course, but the marketplace offers so much more than that. With millions of products and millions of sellers, and with a mix of new makers and established retailers, Etsy is an ecommerce giant.

That’s why we’ve rounded up some essential Etsy facts that everyone working in ecommerce needs to know. We’ve broken these into five categories:

• Etsy seller statistics
• Etsy revenue statistics
• Etsy product statistics
• Etsy buyer statistics
• Etsy web statistics

Let’s get started.

Etsy seller statistics

1. Etsy had over 2.5 million sellers at the end of 2019, and we can only expect that this number has increased.
2. Etsy sellers live all over the world, in 234 countries.
3. 62% of Etsy sellers are based in the US.
4. California is home to the most Etsy sellers with 14% of US-based Etsy shops.

5. The UK is the leading location outside of the US, with 30% of international Etsy sellers.
6. 61% of Etsy sellers are multi-channel retailers.
7. 83% of Esty sellers identify as women.
8. 82% of Etsy sellers want to grow their business.
9. 43% of sellers use the Etsy app to manage their sales.
10. Top Etsy sellers make $10,000 per year or more.
11. The top Etsy seller in the US, PlannerKate1, has had over 1.2 million sales since opening.

Key takeaways

Etsy is a huge commerce platform, with an especially strong US presence. Plus, the fact that most sellers are multi-channel retailers—and also selling their products on marketplaces like Amazon and Shopify sites—suggests that the platform isn’t just for amateur makers. It’s for ecommerce businesses.

So if you’re already selling handmade or vintage products on another platform, it’s worth it to expand and start selling on Etsy.

If you’re starting a business, it’s important to run the numbers before setting up shop—or at least quitting your day job. Etsy does have associated costs, though it’s worth noting that the listing and transaction fees are lower than other platforms, like Amazon and eBay.

The fact that top sellers make $10,000 per year is promising, but the number of sellers earning at least this amount is hard to find. The good news is that Etsy recently announced additional investments in its sellers, including advertising for established stores and more.

Etsy revenue statistics

12. Last year, Etsy’s annual merchandise sales volume totaled $4.97 billion US dollars.
13. In the first six months of 2020, Etsy sales grew 71% YoY.
14. Etsy acquired Reverb, an online marketplace for musical instruments, for $275 million US dollars in 2019.
15. Experts predict that Etsy’s revenue will grow 22% between 2019 and 2021.
16. Etsy has three major revenue streams, including services like website hosting platform Pattern and promoted listings, but the marketplace consistently brings in the most.
17. Etsy generates over $330 million US dollars in revenue from marketplace fees, including listing and transaction fees.
18. Etsy became a publicly traded company in the US in 2015, about 10 years after it was founded.

Key takeaway

This one’s simple: Etsy is growing. It’s also growing even faster than predicted. Online shopping has increased over the past six months with the coronavirus pandemic, and Etsy is seeing those results.

Most experts are predicting that the boost in online sales will stick around, too, which is promising for Etsy’s continued growth—and yours.

Etsy product statistics

19. Etsy has over 60 million products listed on its platform.
20. Home & Goods is the most popular product category as of June 2020.
21. No surprise during lockdowns: There’s been a 472% YoY growth in searches on Etsy with the term “sweatsuit.”
22. An even more specific trend: “tie-dye sweatsuit” searches are up 11,860% YoY.

23. Crafting kits are similarly in demand: Searches for “embroidery kit” and “letter writing” are up 230% YoY and 354% YoY, respectively.
24. The most popular Etsy product searches for August 2020 were “face mask,” with over 875,000 queries; “wall decor,” with over 500,000; and “personalized gifts,” with over 370,000.

Key takeaways

Etsy has strict parameters on items being handmade or vintage, which sets it apart from platforms like eBay and Amazon. Still, the products available on Etsy vary widely. So much more than chunky scarves and kitschy signs!

With that many options, it’s even more important to do the work to get your products and your Etsy shop visible. Make sure to do your keyword research on the platform and optimize your listing. Carve out your niche and follow this when you’re adding new inventory. And, perhaps most importantly, tell your story. A compelling brand story on your Etsy shop page can personalize you and your business, drawing in new and returning customers.

Etsy buyer statistics

25. 45.7 million people purchased goods on Etsy in 2019.
26. As of Q2 2020, there are 60.27 million buyers on Etsy.
27. Etsy buyers are often repeat customers. More than 40% of Etsy buyers purchased more than one item in 2018.

28. Like most online shoppers, Etsy buyers aren’t interested in paying too much for shipping. 50% of buyers reported they were less likely to complete a purchase if shipping costs were high or higher than usual.

Key takeaways

Even though Etsy’s buyers used to be almost exclusively young, white women in the US, that’s changing. With an expansion of products, ecommerce shops, and a stronger presence across the US and internationally, Etsy attracts all kinds of buyers.

That’s good news—your target audience is likely using the platform.

The key here is to make a seamless customer experience with high-quality products, informative listings, and quick shipping to capture those repeat buyers for your store.

Etsy web statistics

29. Etsy’s mobile app has over 32 million users monthly, ranking seventh behind retail giants like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
30. 58% of Etsy’s sales occurred on mobile devices in 2019.

31. 66% of visits to Etsy’s website occur on mobile devices.
32. Etsy.com has the fifth highest reach for ecommerce platforms, behind marketplaces like amazon.com and alibaba.com.

Key takeaways

The Etsy app is a must. That means you should jump on the opportunity to use the Etsy app to sell your products, and you should also spend time making sure your listings are optimized for mobile.

Pro tip: Pay attention to your product photos here. A great product photo is key to winning a sale, and Etsy says that poor product photography is one of the biggest mistakes you need to avoid.

Put these Etsy statistics to use

Now that you’re well-versed in Etsy sellers, buyers, products, and more, you can put this knowledge to use for your business.

And you can even get started now. Expand your multi-channel retail business to the platform. Add a brand story to your Etsy store page to encourage repeat customers. Optimize your listings with on-point product photos and detailed descriptions. Add new trending items related to your core offering.

With this growing platform of millions of loyal Etsy buyers and increasingly more sophisticated retailers, the sky’s the limit.