Etsy promotes 'shopping domestically' amid tariff concerns
Etsy Inc. is making it easier for buyers to find and purchase items from domestic sellers as a way to blunt potential tariff-related price increases on imports.
The online retailer operates globally and enables customers to purchase goods from sellers all over the world. However, its model faces challenges given the recent imposition of tariffs on most items imported to the U.S. by President Trump, which has been followed by some countries placing new tariffs on U.S. products, Etsy said it is "surfacing" new ways for buyers to discover businesses in their countries across its website and app.
These include features for customers such as curated shopping pages and local seller spotlights. For sellers, Etsy is providing an online tariff handbook that provides information such as how tariffs are collected and the definition of the de minimis exception.
"While we continue to nurture and enable cross-border trade on Etsy, we understand that people are increasingly interested in shopping domestically, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman said in a corporate blog post. "Etsy is uniquely positioned to meet shoppers in this moment, offering them millions of special items from sellers in their country."
According to Etsy data, 89% of its sellers work from home by themselves without complex overseas production lines and fulfillment requirements, and most source supplies domestically, which can help them remain "agile and resilient" even when there are shifts to global supply chains.
Etsy said it is also "elevating seller voices" to advocate for public policies that reflect the “unique needs” of small businesses and protect their ability engage in global commerce.
"We are continuing to monitor regulatory changes and are ready to support our community so we can continue to keep commerce human together," Silverman said in the post.
E-commerce platform Klaviyo recently used OnePulse to survey 500 U.S. consumers about how U.S. tariff policy is affecting their shopping habits, with 83% of respondents saying they are planning to pull back on spending in the coming weeks.
Etsy focuses on search
Etsy has been attempting to improve its search experience for customers and sellers. The e-tailer recently began letting customers browse by curated collections on its app, based on trends, aesthetics and occasions such as "Island Luxe," "Literary Girl" and "Maximalist."
The retailer, which also provides set of creativity standards for products sold on its site, optimizes its search results to showcase a broader range of items from more sellers.
[READ MORE: Etsy showcases top products in search results]
For example, a generic search term like "Halloween accessories" surfaces a wide range of items.
Etsy has also launched a search visibility page that provides specific actionable tips, including insights on listing image quality and quantity, return policies, message response times, and shipping prices, for certain seller listings.
As sellers make changes to their listings, they will gain the ability to track improvements in real time.These search improvements followed other previous enhancements, such as incorporating attributes like listing detail, photo quality and customer service track record into the top items Etsy surfaces for customer search queries.
