Product Launches

Etsy Canada - Surprisingly High Sales and No Competition

by Dirk Llorens Nov. 3, 2021

Etsy Canada - Surprisingly High Sales and No Competition

 

Etsy has a reputation as being an excellent site for selling crafts and handmade goods. A lot of people have a side-hustle of making something like cross-stitch, paintings, candles...the list is endless. Etsy is your platform.

 

However, it might not be right to think about Etsy as a small e-commerce platform for crafty niches. The site has experienced incredible growth, and that has brought opportunity for potential sellers. More consumers are using Etsy than ever before, and that means that there are opportunities for those who can spot a niche for selling.

 

Check out the incredible growth that Etsy has seen as a company, with sales more than doubling in 2020.

Canada often gets forgotten about in the e-commerce market, with sellers focusing on the US market, which is undeniably worth far more money overall. However, this can quickly lead to markets getting flooded. Anyone who has tried to sell in a competitive marketplace on Amazon will have seen this first-hand.

 

The sales in the Canadian e-commerce sector have reliably grown in recent years, too:

Why Etsy Canada Represents a Huge Opportunity

 

So, what are some of the reasons for selling on Etsy? Why is this such a big opportunity?

 

As we have already stated, the growth in e-commerce in Canada is one of the key reasons for shifting to the platform. There are thought to be almost 200,000 sellers on Etsy based in Canada, and according to research, for 28% of these, Etsy is their only occupation.

 

Higher Ticket Price Than Some Other Sites

 

Okay, so it isn’t huge, but the average price for an item is around $30. The average price of an item on Amazon is between $6 and $27, depending on how you calculate it.

 

People aren’t going to Etsy to buy the super-cheap items on the market, and that means there is an opportunity to find a decent profit margin.

 

The Option to Make Your Goods Yourself

 

Being able to make goods yourself can increase the profit you’re making. That’s why so many people are able to make Etsy their full-time careers.

 

Compare it to importing a product that costs you $10, and you sell for $20. Your profit margin may be just a few bucks after you’ve accounted for selling fees and advertising.

 

If you sell the same item for $20 and make it yourself for a few dollars, the profit margin is suddenly much more appealing. You may be making $15 profit for each sale, meaning that even a niche business can thrive.

 

The Option to Expand

 

Etsy is just one of the platforms to sell on, and Canada just one of the countries. International sellers make up a huge part of the platform’s options. Check out the graphic below showing international sellers on the US version of Etsy, courtesy of Statista.

Once you make a success of Etsy, you can move to other platforms including Amazon, Walmart, and even eBay.

 

The Print-on-Demand Revolution

 

This is not the only selling option for Etsy, of course, but many sellers have found success with print-on-demand, meaning they can make items to order. That means that products can effectively be listed on the platform with just a prototype and made when a sale goes through. No wasted stock.

 

What Can I Sell on Etsy Canada?

 

Etsy is true to its roots in terms of the types of items that they allow people to buy and sell. They tend to fall into one of three categories: Handmade goods, vintage items, and craft.

 

A lot of sellers seem to play things very fast and loose when it comes to their definitions of these categories, but it is safest as a seller if you can stick to one of them.

 

  • Handmade goods are things you have designed and manufactured, or even made yourself. These could include personalized items such as jewelry and toys, or even decorations.
  • Vintage. Etsy also allows you to sell vintage items, which it defines as over 20 years old. You can sell things like books and artwork as vintage, but there are also some other items that are very popular, including clothing.
  • Craft supplies. This is the third category and could be anything that is used to make an item. This is a loose definition, but according to the Etsy terms, “craft supplies may be handmade, commercial, or vintage.”

 

Etsy is pretty flexible with these definitions. You won’t get away with selling something that is totally out of line with these, but you do have some leeway.

 

How Much it Costs to Sell on Etsy

 

Current listing fees include a payment processing fee, transaction fee, and a possible offsite ads fee. This is only incurred when you sell an item, so though it may eat into your profit, it is not a fee that will set you back and leave you owing Etsy money.

 

 

 

Tips for Success on Etsy Canada

 

As with selling in every country, there are some simple tips to help you to improve your chances of success on Etsy.

 

  • Optimize your listings. Make sure you include a lot of detail and great photographs. Not only will this improve conversion rates, but it will also improve your chances of ranking the product page on Google when people search.
  • Get feedback. As a seller, one of the best things you can do early on is to get plenty of positive feedback to boost your performance on Etsy and your conversion rates.
  • Offer seasonal products. Etsy is fantastic for gifts, and plenty of people go on the site to find Christmas presents or other seasonal gifts. This presents an opportunity for sellers.
  • Personalize and niche down. This is something print-on-demand can help with, the ability to create more product listings, with more designs and personalization, and improve your chances of showing up in Etsy searches.

 

Summary

 

With Etsy doubling its sales in some parts of the world last year, the time to get involved with the revolution is now, especially if you can offer products in the craft or handmade niches in Canada, where competition remains incredibly low.