Etsy to pilot customer membership program
Etsy Inc. will invite select shoppers to join a beta test of a new membership offering.
The online retailer is rolling out Etsy Insider, an invite-only closed beta program, to a select group of customers in the U.S. in September 2024. Those customers will have the option to purchase an annual or seasonal membership which provides access to exclusive benefits. Etsy has not publicly released membership cost.
Benefits will include free U.S. domestic shipping, a special birthday bonus, and a limited-edition tote bag co-designed by Etsy shop Calhoun and Co. The retailer says it will also work with select Etsy sellers to offer item discounts and first-access merchandise to members.
Sellers will not have to make any changes to their workflow or shipping settings to participate in Etsy Insider, which is available at no cost to sellers, and do not need to take any action to have their shop included in Etsy Insider purchases. However, they can apply to partner on specific discounts and merchandise offerings on the Etsy site. Some sellers will be highlighted in Etsy Insider marketing.
Etsy is piloting this offering on the heels of an initiative to refocus on its original mission to serve as an online marketplace for unique, handmade, and/or vintage items. The retailer recently introduced a new set of creativity standards intended to help sellers and buyers better understand what is allowed for purchase and sale on Etsy and why.
[READ MORE: Etsy focuses on creativity of sellers with new standards, campaign]
Etsy targets gift shoppers
Etsy has also been making a concerted effort during 2024 to establish itself with consumers as a premier gift shopping destination. This includes the May 2024 release of a feature that enables customers buying gifts to upload a video message for the intended recipient.
Etsy’s gifting initiative also includes its February 2024 decision to name talk show host, actress, and co-founder of the Barrymore Brands health and beauty product line Drew Barrymore to the honorary position of chief gifting officer.
According to Etsy, Barrymore is tasked with sharing tips, tricks and inspiration for finding the perfect gifts, as well as revealing her favorite gift recommendations of Etsy items from its global sellers. A dedicated page on the Etsy site features curated recommendations from Barrymore classified by gift recipient types.
Barrymore is also taking an active role in promoting Etsy Gift Mode, an artificial intelligence-enabled shopping hub launched on the Etsy app and e-commerce site in January 2024 that combines AI and human curation to help shoppers find an appropriate present.
After a customer using Gift Mode enters a few details about the person they’re shopping for, Etsy applies machine learning technology to match gift shoppers with targeted/ unique items from Etsy sellers, categorized by more than 200 recipient personas.
