Amazon has approached Etsy artists about selling their wares on Handmade on Amazon, a new site that would compete with the craft-selling giant.
Several Etsy sellers write that they have been sent an email that says: “Introducing Handmade, a new shopping experience at Amazon. We’re offering artisans like you a first peek at Handmade, a new marketplace for handcrafted goods.” It includes a link to an Amazon Artisan Interest Form.
Based on the questionnaire, jewelry appears to be a prime focus of the new site, as it is on Etsy—it’s the number-one selling category there.
Amazon would pose a huge challenge to Etsy, which has had a series of blows since it went public in March. One analyst just estimated that as much as 5 percent of its items could have copyright issues, and its first quarter as a public company showed a 44 percent leap in revenue but a $36.6 million loss.
Forum posters expressed a mix of interest and wariness and mostly wondered how Amazon would police the definition of handmade, which has become an ongoing issue for Etsy.
“If they keep this strictly handmade, this could be a very interesting option for many,” one poster wrote.
Another said, “I think it’s great to have your eggs in more than one basket…it’s just that there hasn’t been any other baskets with as much built-in traffic.”
Some Etsy sellers have already set up a Facebook group, Homemade at Amazon Pioneers.
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