Yesterday was a big day for Etsy, a company that I have been invested in for eleven years and on the board of for ten of them.
The company launched Etsy Studio, an entirely new marketplace dedicated to craft supplies.
Craft supplies have always been available on Etsy and still are. But they are a category and, while they make up a material amount of the total volume sold on Etsy every year, they are not front and center in the buyer experience. Etsy thought they could do better for buyers of craft supplies and so, about a year ago, they went about making an entirely new marketplace dedicated to craft supplies.
Etsy Studio leverages all of the considerable investments Etsy has made in its technology stack over the years; search, discovery, checkout, promoted listings, machine learning, and more.
Etsy Studio launches with over 8 million items, compared to something like 200,000 to 300,000 at a typical craft store.
In addition, Etsy Studio features project-based shopping.
You find a project you want to do, like this paper flower spring wreath, and Etsy Studio will allow you to fill a shopping cart with everything you need to make it.
If you are a crafter and are looking for a better way to buy craft supplies and find new projects to do, check out Etsy Studio. I think you will find it to be a delightful experience.
