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Blog / Style & trends / 11 Interesting Etsy Statistics You Need to Know in 2024

Style & trends

11 Interesting Etsy Statistics You Need to Know in 2024

11 Interesting Etsy Statistics You Need to Know in 2024
Ilze Elizabete Strazda

By Ilze Elizabete Strazda

11 min read

Etsy is one of the most popular ecommerce marketplaces in the world. It’s also by far the most important player in the ecommerce industry when it comes to handmade or vintage items. Are you looking for personalized gifts or unique jewelry? Get yourself to Etsy—you want it, an Etsy shop is bound to have it.

But what do we really know about Etsy as an online marketplace? In this article, we’ll go through some of the most important Etsy stats, from basics like the number of active Etsy sellers to more in-depth insights related to Etsy demographics, buyer trends, and more.

Whether you’re looking for trends related to ecommerce marketplaces or just thinking about opening an Etsy shop, this article will give you the most up-to-date info about the Etsy marketplace and its performance.

So, gather around everyone—let’s talk all things Etsy.

What is Etsy?

Before we get into our statistics, let’s start with the basics. What is Etsy and how is it different from other ecommerce sites?

Etsy is an ecommerce marketplace that focuses solely on craft supplies, as well as vintage or handmade products. This means products that don’t fit those categories aren’t permitted on the marketplace. 

So, if you’re, for example, thinking of starting a clothing brand using print-on-demand, you can—as long as the designs are yours. But if you want to do traditional dropshipping, Etsy might not allow it. 

Online marketplaces differ from ecommerce platforms like Shopify or Wix in that you don’t build your own website with Etsy, but rather open a store on an existing marketplace.

a screenshot of a websiteSource: Etsy

This means creating an Etsy shop can take less time, and you can immediately start adding your products, without having to worry about website design. On the other hand, Etsy sellers have less control over what their Etsy shop will look like, and have to take into account various Etsy fees.

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Who is Etsy best for?

Etsy is tailored for people creating unique or fully personalized items that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s a good choice for multi-channel sellers with artistic personalities and creative businesses.

a collage of images of clothes and itemsSource: CostureroReal on Etsy

Etsy’s also good for small artists looking to sell their work on the side. Etsy marketing offers many options for sellers without a large budget, and the advanced Etsy search allows storeowners to connect with Etsy’s built-in audience of buyers looking for distinctive, special products.

Statistics Etsy sellers need to know for 2024

The ecommerce market, much like everything else, has seen some turbulent times in recent years. Let’s take a deeper look into some of the most interesting Etsy statistics to keep in mind for 2024.

In 2023, Etsy reported $13.2 billion in overall gross merchandise sales

Let’s start with a big one—Etsy’s gross merchandise sales. Gross merchandise sales refer to the dollar value of all products sold on all Etsy marketplaces, including Depop, Reverb, and Elo7, which all belong to Etsy.

At the end of last year, Etsy reported $13.2 billion in gross sales, a slight year-over-year decline from the previous year’s gross merchandise sales volume of $13.3 billion.

Over the past few years, Etsy’s seen a slight but persistent decline in gross merchandise sales. The last quarter of 2023 was no different—Etsy itself attributes this to several factors, chiefly the difficult macroeconomic environment that’s put a damper on consumer discretionary spending.

In 2023, Etsy delivered record-high revenue of $2.7 billion

Despite the slight dip in Etsy’s gross merchandise sales, Etsy had something to celebrate—over the past year, Etsy’s revenue reached historic heights. In 2023, Etsy revenue reached an all-time high of $2.7 billion, a 7% increase from Etsy’s revenue in 2022.

Strong performances during Cyber Weekend and the holiday period also helped make the last quarter of 2023 the most successful in Etsy’s revenue history. During Q4 of 2023, Etsy reached its highest-ever quarterly revenue of $842 million.

According to Rachel Glaser, Etsy’s Chief Financial Officer, Etsy’s revenue increase during Q4 was due to “healthy GMS flow through, strong growth in Etsy Ads and good contribution from payments.”

The top 6 Etsy product categories make up 87% of gross merchandise sales

We all know Etsy is the go-to place for craft and party supplies, as well as handmade or vintage items. But do you know which categories bring in the most sales for Etsy shops?

According to the Etsy 2023 Q4 earnings report, just 6 categories represent approximately 87% of gross merchandise sales on the Etsy marketplace.

The most popular category of 2023 by far is Home & Living items, followed by Jewelry & Accessories. Both of these categories experienced a small year-over-year decline, while the third most popular category, Apparel, saw a slight increase in sales. These are followed by Craft Supplies, Paper & Party Supplies, and Toys & Games.

What do these Etsy stats tell us? First, it’s clear what kind of products Etsy buyers are typically looking for—home decor, jewelry, accessories, apparel, hobby supplies, toys, and games.

It also shows which categories will be the most competitive for Etsy sellers. In 2024, Etsy sellers with online shops that focus on categories like Home & Living, Jewelry & Accessories, or Apparel will need to think extra hard about their market niche, to differentiate themselves and ensure their store stands out among their competitors.

a blue chart with white textSource: Etsy

Etsy seller numbers showed a 30% YoY increase at the end of 2023

Let’s talk Etsy seller statistics—can you guess how many Etsy sellers are there?

At the end of 2023, Etsy reported that 7 million active sellers were selling on Etsy (this means just Etsy, excluding sellers that use Etsy-owned marketplaces like Elo7).

This is a notable rise in the number of active sellers. In 2022, Etsy finished the year with 5.4 million active sellers, making this year’s result an almost 30% increase. This shows that despite the competitive online retail sector and challenging macroeconomic circumstances, Etsy has nevertheless managed to attract and retain active sellers who are looking to build or expand their creative businesses.

Etsy has seen a 101% increase in active Etsy buyers since 2019

OK, Etsy seller statistics are looking well. What about buyers?

During the pandemic era, ecommerce sites exploded in popularity—the Etsy marketplace wasn’t an exception. Etsy statistics show that since 2019, Etsy has experienced a 101% increase in active Etsy buyers (buyers that have made at least one purchase over the past 12 months), with the numbers climbing from 45.7 million active buyers in 2019 to an all-time high of 92 million active buyers in 2023.

There’s also been moderate year-over-year growth. At the end of 2022, Etsy reported having 89.4 million active buyers, which shows that over the past year, there’s been a roughly 3% increase.

Etsy stats also show that 48% of total active buyers are repeat customers. According to Etsy, a repeat customer is “any buyer who made purchases on two or more days in the previous 12 months.”

Plus, another interesting thing to note about recent buyer statistics is that over the last quarter of 2023, Etsy managed to reactivate a record-high number of lapsed buyers—10 million.

So, while the pandemic ecommerce gold rush is slowing down, Etsy still boasts strong active buyer numbers and has managed to remain one of the heavy hitters of the ecommerce industry.

Etsy is attracting more habitual customers than ever

While having many customers is important, having habitual and repeat buyers is essential for any thriving business—an online retail marketplace is no exception.

In 2023, Etsy recorded 7.1 million habitual buyers. A habitual Etsy buyer has “spent $200 or more and made purchases on six or more days in the previous 12 months”. Essentially, these are customers for whom shopping on Etsy is a regular activity.

According to Etsy statistics, there’s been a significant increase in habitual buyers over the past years. In 2019, only 2.5 million active buyers could be considered habitual buyers. The rise in habitual buyers demonstrates how online retail is becoming an indispensable part of our lives.

Historically, Etsy has been overwhelmingly favored by users who identify as women. According to recent data from Similarweb, roughly 58% of Etsy visits come from women, while only 42% are men.

However, since 2019, Etsy buyer demographics have been slowly changing. In 2022, Etsy reported that from 89.4 million active buyers, 22 million identified as male—a 124% increase when compared to 2019 numbers.

More recently, the Etsy 2023 Q4 earnings report showed that this trend is continuing—there was a 6% year-over-year increase in active buyers who identify as male. This shows the growing universal appeal of Etsy as an online marketplace.

a screenshot of a man's profileSource: Etsy

People aged 25–34 make up almost 30% of Etsy users

The broad appeal of Etsy is visible when you take a look at how popular it is among different age groups. While Etsy is most loved by people aged 25–34, other age groups aren’t far behind.

The 25–34 age group makes up 29.7% of Etsy’s audience. The next largest age group is people between 35–44 years of age, who make up around 18.2%. Put together, these two groups make up roughly half of all Etsy visitors over recent months.

The third most active age group is users aged 18–24, which makes up around 17.7% of Etsy’s audience, followed by older folks. An interesting thing to note is that Etsy has more users in the 65+ age group than most of its competitors, reaffirming Etsy’s broad appeal and accessibility.

a graph of different colored barsSource: Similarweb

Additionally, Etsy buyer demographics show that, while people in their teens and early 20s favor Etsy, the general trend leans more toward adults in their mid-20 to mid-40s. This makes Etsy different from an ecommerce marketplace like Redbubble, which is overwhelmingly used by Gen Zers.

a graph with numbers and a barSource: Similarweb

Over 70% of Etsy purchases are for special events, gifting, and personal use

Gifting has always played a role in Etsy’s marketplace, even before the pandemic. In a buyer survey conducted back in 2019, 9 out of 10 Etsy buyers said they’d bought a gift on Etsy in the past year.

More recent Etsy buyer statistics show that over 70% of purchases made on Etsy are intended for special events, gifting, and personal use, highlighting the enduring popularity of Etsy as the go-to place for unique and original gift options.

According to Etsy’s own statistics, 90% of gift purchases are split pretty evenly between holidays and personal events. The most popular holidays include Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, while the most popular personal events are birthdays or family-related celebrations, like weddings or welcoming a new baby into the family.

a woman holding a red presentSource: Etsy

Etsy’s mobile app downloads decreased by roughly 28%

Last year, there was a dip in the number of downloads for Etsy’s buyer app. The number of downloads for the Etsy app peaked in 2022 with 2.5 million downloads. However, in 2023, Etsy mobile app downloads fell to around 1.8 million.

That said, it’s not all doom and gloom for Etsy in the mobile commerce. According to data from Similarweb, 58% of Etsy’s traffic comes from mobile devices. Plus, the Etsy seller app did quite well, reaching more than 626,000 downloads, a significant increase from previous years.

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The average Etsy site visit duration is 5:46 minutes

How long do Etsy visitors spend browsing on the site? According to data from Similarweb, Etsy’s average visit duration is 5:46 minutes.

That’s not a lot of time to make an impression, right? This means Etsy sellers should focus on refining product titles, descriptions, and visuals to ensure their business catches the buyer’s eye.

Interestingly enough, visitors spend a longer time on Etsy if they’re on their computer, rather than mobile. Over the past three months, desktop visit duration averages around 8:30 minutes, while on mobile it’s only roughly 3:30 minutes.

a graph with blue dotsSource: Similarweb

In addition, the average Etsy visitor will visit 9 pages while browsing Etsy on their desktop, but only 4 pages when browsing on mobile.

3 key takeaways from Etsy statistics

Despite turbulence in the industry, Etsy is still seeing growth in key areas

Ecommerce’s gone through ups and downs. After the pandemic era boom, many ecommerce companies struggled to retain sustainable growth, and recent global developments haven’t been entirely helpful for the global ecommerce industry.

Etsy statistics show that, while gross merchandise sales volume has seen a slight decline, Etsy has managed to retain growth in several key aspects. Etsy’s revenue has reached historic heights, and the number of active Etsy sellers and buyers is growing despite challenging macroeconomic circumstances.

Buyers are turning to Etsy to brighten up their homes and buy gifts for loved ones

Move over, Ikea—is there a new sheriff in town? According to 2023 Etsy stats, Home & Living emerged as the top category, bringing in the most sales. This suggests consumers are looking for individuality and are increasingly turning to Etsy for distinctive home decor pieces that are hard to find anywhere else.

Additionally, strong performances during Cyber Weekend and the holiday season, as well as buyer surveys show that customers are increasingly using Etsy for gifts, both for holidays and personal celebrations.

People visit Etsy more on mobile but browse longer on desktop

Buyers aren’t quite as keen as they once were on the Etsy mobile app. However, that doesn’t mean Etsy is struggling when it comes to mobile ecommerce. Much of Etsy’s traffic comes from mobile, and sellers are still increasingly using mobile devices to manage their online store.

That said, users spend more quality time on Etsy when they’re on their desktop—they spend a longer time browsing and visiting more pages.

Well, that’s all the Etsy stats we have for you today! Are there any other Etsy statistics you’d like to learn more about? If yes, I have some good news—on our Printful blog, you’ll easily find even more reliable, up-to-date information not just about Etsy, but about all things ecommerce.

Printful is one of the leaders of the print-on-demand industry and works closely together with some of the largest players in the ecommerce game. We regularly share industry insights, interviews, expert tips, and more.

You can also follow us on our YouTube channel and keep an eye on our socials for more statistics and interesting news about the online retail industry.

OK—that’s all from us. We hope you found this article useful!

author

By Ilze Elizabete Strazda on Apr 17, 2024

Ilze Elizabete Strazda

Guest author

Ilze Elizabete is a freelance writer with a background in law and international relations. In her free time, Ilze is an avid reader and painter.

Ilze Elizabete is a freelance writer with a background in law and international relations. In her free time, Ilze is an avid reader and painter.