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As e-commerce becomes more and more a part of the mainstream shopping experience, the rise of indie retailers on the web continues as well.
One platform that has been integral in getting small businesses up and running in web sales is online craft fair Etsy, a site that streamlines and simplifies the process of selling handmade or vintage goods on the web for artisans and others the world over. And while Etsy is well-known among web shoppers, the site performed rather impressively on Cyber Monday, smashing sales records and blowing up the spot of national-level retailers with its intense activity during the kickoff day for holiday shopping on the internet.
In a blog post, Etsy wasn’t above knocking bricks and mortar shops, extolling the (admittedly usually awesome) Etsy shopping experience had by most users:
More and more, big-box retail experiences are becoming impersonal, frustrating, and even dangerous — pepper-sprayed while shopping? Many online shopping venues focus purely on price and convenience. Instead, Etsy focuses on one-to-one exchanges. We connect individuals around the world to creative, independent business owners who provide an array of unique, one-of-a-kind goods.
Sharing some numbers, Etsy continues:
On Monday, November 28, 2011, Etsy sellers sold a record amount of goods, resulting in a single-day sales record for the community. Today, the community is on track to meet that number again, and we expect that more days will top the charts before the end of the year. We’re excited about this growth because it reflects the success of hundreds of thousands of businesses run by real people. In fact, the number of shops with sales on Cyber Monday increased by 61 percent compared to last year, and average sales per shop increased 11 percent.
The indie marketplace notes that while Cyber Monday sales for the top retail outlets is estimated to have come in at 15 to 30% higher than 2010, Etsy sales came in at an astonishing 80% over last year. Do you plan on buying handmade for some of your Christmas gifts this holiday season?
