Thousands of sellers on the popular website Etsy went on strike this week. Sellers of handmade crafts, jewelry, art and even furniture say that Etsy’s fees for sellers are too high, and that other rules imposed on them by the site make it difficult to make a living. Tech expert Omar Gallaga told Texas Standard that sellers also object to being required to participate in Etsy advertising programs.
Highlights from this segment:
– Fees for Etsy sellers are set to rise from 5% to 6.5% of sales, representing a 30% increase. Etsy also increased fees in 2018.
– Unhappy Etsy sellers first circulated a petition expressing their grievances, then created a website to help them gain wider support. Some 15,000 sellers said they would shutter their stores during all or part of this week.
– Sellers say Etsy has become more corporate-focused, partnering with brands and allowing more non-artisans to sell their goods on the platform. Etsy prospered during the pandemic, as stores selling face masks breathed new life into the platform.
