Etsy, the online crafts marketplace, has announced the launch of Etsy Manufacturing. This new online arena hopes to help Etsy sellers expand their businesses by matching them with small manufacturers.
The program, which consists of a directory of Etsy-approved manufacturers, allows sellers to choose production partners based on their location, type of production processes on offer and minimum threshold for orders. Sellers who use the service will also need to get Etsy’s approval to outsource, a separate process in which Etsy assesses the seller’s presence and role on the site.
The company also notes that the test phase platform will help to bring business back to small manufacturers that have been devastated by a shift of production to low-cost countries.
Etsy Manufacturing could also act as a way for the online retailer to compete with Amazon’s new Handmade site. This program will compete head-to-head with the Etsy marketplace, allowing invited artisans to sell their unique, handcrafted goods to hundreds of millions of customers worldwide.
As far as competing against Amazon, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson notes that Etsy is still the “best platform” for the creative entrepreneur. “Etsy has a decade of experience understanding the needs of artists and sellers and supporting them in ways that no other marketplace can,” he adds.
To apply for the database’s beta, visit www.Etsy.com/manufacturing/apply. CJ
