From Etsy’s Merchandising Desk: August 2011

Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods
marymary

Story by marymary

Published on July 29, 2011 in Seller Handbook

August is just around the corner, reminding us to gear up for the holidays ahead. Our goal is to create a healthy balance between promotions for traditional holidays, seasonal changes, cultural events, and lifestyle trends. It’s also a great way to change up the way you approach managing your Etsy business. If you’d like to stay engaged and involved with the approaching merchandising themes, use them in your own artistic voice as you add to your shop. They can be translated in your listings, photos, shop announcements, descriptions, tags, titles, sales promotions, and more.

Promotional Opportunities for Sellers:

  1. Keep up with July’s seasonal themes, holidays and trends in the July edition of Merchandising Desk.
  2. As Etsy continues to work with partners like West Elm, it’s increasingly advantageous to describe your work and any custom options you are able to offer. Make sure to include any options for personalization, expedited shipping, and larger scale options with estimated time frames for these customizations in your item listings.
  3. Create and tag Treasuries fitting July’s merchandising themes for a chance to have your collection featured on Etsy’s homepage or linked from promotional emails. Sharing these collections via your social networks during relevant time periods will help increase traffic and engagement around your items and shop. Tip: We’re looking to introduce a wider variety of unisex, men-centric, music, and vintage niches into the regular rotation. Make sure to tag lists appropriately for the best return.
  4. Holiday Tip: Think it’s too early to begin listing your 2011 holiday line? Think again! Now is the time media and press publications are finalizing their print plans for the holidays. Take advantage of this knowledge by listing your holiday line now with clear seasonal tags. Don’t forget, Etsy’s “holiday” season begins with Halloween.

Stay Engaged in August
Our central merchandising will focus on back to school season, intros to autumn, Halloween, wedding season, preserving the summer and outdoor activities. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to remember that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for spring. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

  • Back to School: Typical college go-ers move into the dorms/apartments mid to late August, while elementary through high schoolers are heading back during the first two weeks of September. Think college dorm room, organizational essentials, gadget and computer accessories, notebooks, writing utensils, cases, book bags, backpacks, satchels, lunch carriers, and fall fashion.
  • Halloween Preview: It may seem early, but Halloween searches are on the rise. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes & accessories, pumpkin decorating ideas, and DIY kits. Get ahead of the game by listing your full Halloween line now.
  • Preserving the Summer: Final summer vacations, outdoor activities, community events & fairs, open air soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors. Emphasis on outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty, outdoor lighting and savoring the last of summer nights.
  • Harvest: Autumn decor, fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty. Farm, rustic, and woodland motifs.
  • Fashion: Emphasis on intro to fall fashion. Think layers, outerwear accessories, boots, and autumn color palettes.
  • Weddings: Autumn wedding options are in full swing. At the height of wedding season, think about how your line can offer or evoke both indoor/outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party. Additional highlights on warm weather honeymooning.
  • Outdoor & International Travel: Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities on the rise include music festivals, camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.
  • Collecting: Summer months are an opportune time to take advantage of antiquing, collecting, flea markets, outdoor bazaars, and vintage renewal.
  • Peridot is August’s birthstone; August’s astrological signs are Leo and Virgo (July 23 – August 23: Leo, August 24 – September 23: Virgo).

Trending Topics:

  • Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
  • Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and fall’s approaching premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
  • Feather Hair Extensions
  • Icon: Amy Winehouse
  • The Smurfs & Smurfette comeback with their 2011 movie release (think authentic vintage souvenirs).
  • Sports: The US Open this month brings attention to athletes and tennis.
  • Fashion: Tribal and snakeskin patterns, feathers, menswear, blazers and jackets, gray basics, tailored pants, patterned leggings & opaque tights, oxfords, vintage boots.
  • Colors: On the rise: deep jewel tones, fluorescents, classic reds and kelly greens. Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral.
  • The Local Artisanal Shop and the Speakeasy: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie. Barware of mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
  • Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.
  • Vintage Designer: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
  • Culinary Trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.
  • Writable surfaces: Chalkboard and whiteboard.
  • Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
  • Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
  • Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
  • Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
  • Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
  • Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.
  • Gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.
  • Lions with Leo Zodiacs in focus.
  • All things steampunk.
  • Braided hair.
  • Wall decals.
  • Mermaids.
  • Peacocks.

If you make items that would fit well with the themes outlined, try stocking up and listing them in advance to take advantage of potential shipping deadlines and site features. Do you already have items in your shop that meld well? That’s great! Now it’s time to revisit those items to make sure your tags, titles and descriptions reflect keywords that shoppers might be looking for during this time of year. This is also a great opportunity to revamp your item photography with a new look. Check out some great how-to’s for item photography to get started.

For those of your who enjoy making Treasuries, we’ll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive ways throughout the site. Please tag your Treasuries accordingly.

Special tip: Tagging your Treasuries with a single word, or multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting your list from being found.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

  • August is known as National Golf and National Peach month
  • July 21 – August 21: Paris Plage
  • August 3: Wacken Festival (Germany)
  • August 6: Chinese Valentine’s Day, also known as The Daughters Festival
  • August 7: Friendship Day
  • August 11: Ramadan begins
  • August 12 – 14: La route du rock in St Malot (French music festival)
  • August 15: L’Assomption de Marie aka Assumption, busy French vacation weekend
  • August 21: National Senior Citizens Day
  • August 26 & 27: Rock en Seine (French music festival)
  • August 27: Long Night of the Museums (Berlin, Germany)
  • August 27 & 28: Screenprinting Festival (Berlin, Germany – Etsy will be present)
  • August 29- Sept 11: US Tennis Open Tournament

Have a date to remember that you don’t see on the list? Let us know in the comments section below.

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