SQUEE! Etsy is coming to a brick and mortar near you!

Partnering with Macy’s

Etsy has decided to open its first physical store, similar to what Amazon did last year and Google attempted to do before delay. Located in New York, and strategically placed inside of Macy’s Herald Square, this first of its kind store offers over 50 products including jewelry, stationary, and household items.

This partnership is Etsy’s largest retail partnership in its entire 11 years, however it isn’t their first go round with big-name stores.  West Elm, Nordstrom, Lou and Gray, and now Whole Foods, have partnered with Etsy at one time or another, so hopes are definitely high.

Etsy, Etsy everywhere

Designers for the store worked extremely hard to make sure the place was not only captivating but relevant to its target market. According to Dana Mauriello, director of seller category growth at Etsy,  “The design team at Etsy, in collaboration with Macy’s, worked hard to bring Etsy’s brand into the space as well. We actually sourced all of the risers and tabletop fixtures from Etsy sellers”.

Designers used 28 different sellers to make sure it was Etsy here, Etsy there, Etsy everywhere; But a true shopping experience wouldn’t be complete without the enthralling Etsy products. Products are on a theme schedule that changes every two months, allowing consumers to stay up to date, and engaged. Right now, the theme is “New York”, and includes sellers like Debbie Aimee and Sara Schiwal of Hook & Matter, and other New York sellers. The store also offers exclusive Macy items like Soledad Proano of Sol del Sur.

Not everyone is happy about it

I can only imagine the excitement from shoppers, and sellers alike. This store offers a physical opportunity that wasn’t there before. For shoppers, that means the chance to see your products in person before purchasing. For sellers, like Aimee and Sara Schiwal, it means a larger target market that now includes Macy goers. Seems like a win, win right?

Right, but only for some. This new store could leave the people who value Etsy’s indie spirited, peer-to-peer intended fundamentals, disgruntled. According to former Etsy seller Grace Dobush, “things have changed in the past decade; Indie craft has grown from a close knit subculture to a giant economy that influences trends in big box stores.”  The change she’s referring to, resulted in an influx of sellers, who have zero concern for quality of product. This means more crafters, without an actual craft, and extremely low competitive pricing. The new store with all of it’s excitement, can mean the same, and attract even more sellers looking for a quick way to make a buck, quality not included.

If you’re in New York…

Regardless, this venture is expected to be a success for the Etsy brand, and Macy’s. Details on whether or not this is a permanent thing or a temporary thing, and just how temporary, have not been released. But with their two month theme change plan, it’s obvious they’ll be there longer than two months. So if you need stationary, or have never shopped at Etsy online, and are in the New York area you should definitely check it out before it’s too late.

I wonder what other e-commerce sites will follow in their footsteps…. will Google finally follow-through and give us the brick and mortar we’ve been hoping for? Only time will tell, until then, happy Etsying!

#EtsyBrickAndMortar