Etsy's Handmade Blog
From Etsy's Merchandising Desk: Movement and Growth in June
Story by lsagar, marymary
Published on May 6, 2009 in Etsy News 		Photo by

vintology

As the weather warms up and spring starts to hint at summer, we’d like to share our merchandising insights for June. We’ve been taking note of and appreciate your comments and suggestions from our merchandising series launch.  As we continue to plan Etsy’s calendar for the year ahead with thematic merchandising, we will be incorporating many of the concepts you shared in May's report, and we will be looking for more of your input. It is our goal to create a healthy balance between promotions for traditional holidays, seasonal changes, and lifestyle trends.

Rounding Out May

The Merchandising Team is moving its calendar forward to welcome the summer and plan the fall. As we move through the month of May here in North America, we're preparing for an important seasonal shift. You can feel it, sense it, almost touch it: it's the scent of summer coming upon us. Gift giving for Mother's Day will transition to Father's Day, June weddings, and graduations. Also on our minds are the undertones of proms, international travels, and the summer soiree. Guess what? The big theme is “movement” and “growth.”

  • Throughout May our larger focuses will surround the promotion of Father's Day and dads. Take this opportunity to introduce Dad to the world of handmade by finding a memorable gift that makes him smile. Look for a series of Gift Guides just for dads shortly after Mother's Day. We will continue to promote Father's Day across Etsy in the coming weeks.
  • Emphasized promotions around graduations will emerge in May and continue through June as we celebrate key milestones, accomplishments, and new journeys.
  • Spring plants will soon begin to flower, displaying the well-deserved rewards for dedicated gardeners. Fragrant herbs, handmade soaps, and appreciative note cards are inspiring reminders of La Primavera (spring).
  • We will also focus on the many wonderful items for pets that abound on Etsy.
  • The element of glass makes an appearance and takes a bow. Ancient glass-blowing techniques create a colorful, complex, and often transcendental sparkle as the sun peeks out.
  • The handmade spirit of France touches our Etsy hearts with VE Day on May 8th, our salute to the Cannes Film Festival May 13th, and the French Open on May 25th.
  • Color trends include sky blue, textured whites, mimosa, apricot, and eco-friendly shades of green.
  • Remember, emeralds glisten as birthstones for birthdays and babies in May, and May's astrological signs are Taurus and Gemini (April 21 - May 20: Taurus and May 21 - June 21: Gemini).
  • As May continues, emphasized Category promotions will center around the Weddings, Housewares, Books and Zines, and Paper Goods.
  • We will also be emphasizing handmade tabletop settings, garden soirees, barbeques, and family get togethers as we approach Memorial Day weekend (May 25).
  • Promotional Opportunities for Sellers: We've planned two promotion-based Etsy Finds posts that will be sent out to our Etsy Finds mailing list in May. These Finds will center around gift ideas for graduation and Father's Day. If you would like to to participate in our "graduations" promotional email, please read this forum thread. If you would like to participate in our "Father's Day" promotional email, please read this forum thread.

Stay Engaged in June

Venturing into June, our larger themes will center around seasonal holidays, celebrations, summer travel, and relishing the outdoors. As we place an emphasis on outdoor and summer themes throughout June and the coming months, we will also intertwine appropriate seasonal themes for those around the globe approaching cooler weather.

  • The primary merchandising focuses throughout June will be an extension of our salute to Papa Bear, with Father's Day on June 21st. We will also nod our hats to new graduates during this notable season for graduations.
  • Look for highlights on June weddings, Americana, folk art, nautical motifs, the art of collecting, garden parties, picnics, housewarming and hostess gifts, cultural events, travel-friendly toys, and bath and body.
  • We will continue our transition from indoors to outdoors, entertaining, play time, and the pursuit of new crafting hobbies. 
  • Look for a few fun highlights in experimental jewelry design. Show some skin this season with handmade necklaces and summer fashion to dance a warm weather nights away.
  • Pearls come into play as June's birthstone, and June's astrological signs are Gemini and Cancer (May 21 - June 21: Gemini, June 22 - July 22: Cancer).
  • June's emphasized Category promotions will center around Vintage, Geekery, Supplies, and Needlecraft.
  • We are planning a site-wide promotion opportunity for sellers in early July. This event will be a perfect time to clear out odds and ends, samples, and seasonal inventory as we all begin to gear up for the 2009 holiday season. Our plan is to make it playful, irreverent, and practical at the same time. Buyers enjoy opportunities to acquire something original and special at a good value. Stay tuned, as we'll be releasing more details as we approach the summer.

If you'd like to stay engaged and involved with the approaching merchandising themes, interpret them in your own artistic voice. This can be translated within your listings, photos, shop announcement, descriptions, tags, titles, sales promotions and more. We're excited to see your creative interpretations!

If you make items that would fit well with the seasonal themes outlined, try stocking up and listing them in advance to take advantage of potential shipping deadlines. 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 key words shoppers might be looking for this time of year. Don't miss this important how-to all about SEO and your word choices for titles, tags, and descriptions. This is also a great opportunity to revamp your item photography with a new look, if you think they need some work. Check out some great how-tos for tagging and item photography to get started. 

If your items fall under the main categories we'll be highlighting this month, it might be a great time to consider purchasing a Category Showcase.  For those of you that enjoy making Treasuries, we'll be looking to highlight lists that interpret June's themes in a creative and cohesive way, as well as the many beautiful collections that we normally feature.

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

  • June 6th - Drawing Day
  • June 8th - Queens Day - Australia
  • June 18 - Etsy's 4th Birthday
  • June 19-21st - Aspen Food and Wine Festival - Aspen, Colorado
  • June 21 - Father's Day
  • June 21 - Summer Solstice
  • June 22 - Wimbledon Tennis Championship - London
  • June 24th - St. Jean-Baptiste Day (Quebec's National Holiday)

Do you have a date to remember that you didn't see on the list?  Let us know in the comments section below. We are currently working toward incorporating a more detailed calendar of international holidays into Etsy's thematic merchandising plans, so we're eager to hear which dates you would like to see included.

We’d like to hear from you!
We appreciate your support and look forward to your feedback and suggestions in the comments section below.  Lou is convo-friendly and available for questions, so if you have a specific one in mind he can be reached at lsagar.etsy.com. Please join Lou in a follow up session in our multi-user chat room, the Virtual Labs, at 2pm EDT on Friday, May 15, 2009.

View More Merchandising Posts | Gift Guides

Tags business, calendar, community, Etsy News, ETSY NEWS, Father's Day, From Etsy's Merchandising Desk, June, June 2009, merchandising series, merch desk, outdoors, schedule, sellers, selling, success, Summer
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lsagar
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110 comments     Login to add your own!

May 6, 2009 at 3:47 p.m. Krystyna81

(yay for talbertart - I love that painting :)

Thanks for the info! Must see what Drawing Day is...I like the sound of that!

May 6, 2009 at 3:49 p.m. FlanneryCrane

Thanks for keeping us informed. Looking forward to the warmer months ahead...

May 6, 2009 at 3:54 p.m. opendoorstudio

awesome... great ideas! Cant wait to keep up the merchandising!

May 6, 2009 at 3:58 p.m. HAREandDRUM

reading attentively... I'll have a few things ready for Father's Day, and did somebody mention Needlecraft? Yay! Thank you, these are most useful articles!

May 6, 2009 at 3:59 p.m. definitionofself

I love how Etsy admin keeps us updated as to the direction of the site. Thanks.

May 6, 2009 at 4:09 p.m. LaveMeSoapCo

Oh shoot I will be closed down to move :(
I need to prepare for fall...

May 6, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. yaelfran

drawing day... i love that!!!!

May 6, 2009 at 4:15 p.m. pengpengs

thanks for the inside scoop! drawing day, i've never heard of that, but it's great!

May 6, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. BrazanDesign

Thanks for the info!

May 6, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. VintageEye

great marketing ideas...summer solstice...hmmmm!

May 6, 2009 at 4:18 p.m. paperpatternsilk

Lots of info here, thanks.

May 6, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. girlscantell

yay, i've been plotting some father's day goodies for a while now. excellent!

May 6, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. juliehammondart

Summer is a great time for inspiration and time get together. Thank you for the information.

May 6, 2009 at 4:35 p.m. Morado

very interesting. the more i get into this the more i realize Etsy has soooo much to offer. i need to make this my full time job :o)

May 6, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. 4TheSparrowsNest

Fascinating, as usual! A real insider's scoop on the mainstream selling highlights of Etsy. I'm always interested to see what new trends Etsians will come up with that aren't predicted here...

May 6, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. magpiefelts

Great article!

May 6, 2009 at 4:50 p.m. modernbird

This article is great, it will help me to set goals for the next month or so.
Thank you marymary and Isagar! ~Laura

May 6, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. SusanKJewelry

Great info for upcoming months .....THANKS.

May 6, 2009 at 5:04 p.m. odiliafu

Thanks for the update and all the details!! Great!!

May 6, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. EJPcreations

So much to look forward to!!! I can't wait!

May 6, 2009 at 5:43 p.m. workingforpeanuts

Thank-you! I'm sooooo inspired!

May 6, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. lovelygifts

Thanks for the info!

May 6, 2009 at 6:11 p.m. baconsquarefarm

Thanks for the info alot absorb at one reading~ I'll back often to reread this article, again thanks~!

May 6, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. MossRoseDesigns

Thanks for the insight -- very informative!

May 6, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. worksandfinds

Fantastic, thank you.

May 6, 2009 at 6:35 p.m. DalkullanJewelry

Great picks, and informative article!

May 6, 2009 at 6:38 p.m. oldworldprimitives

Excited for the June highlights on folk art and the art of collecting!

May 6, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. JazzGreen

very informative; thank you...

May 6, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. SewnNatural

fantastic! i love these articles, they help us plan and consider well in advance, this is VERY MUCH appreciated.

.. and thanks for featuring my twin Gemini monkeys in your article!!

May 6, 2009 at 7:07 p.m. mykonos

Thanks for the info!!

May 6, 2009 at 7:41 p.m. recycledwares

really appreciate the heads up on the new marketing schemes and themes. great ideas!!

May 6, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. vintology

this info has really pumped me up! thanks for the heads up and i look forward to growing with etsy through these awesome merchandise avenues.

May 6, 2009 at 7:45 p.m. VintageinBohemia

suddenly i'm hungry for fruit and sweet cream..

May 6, 2009 at 8:16 p.m. sandali

Sounds like an action packed May & June -- HOERA !!

May 6, 2009 at 8:23 p.m. curlyfrysc

Flag Day is June 14th.

May 6, 2009 at 8:25 p.m. EviesToolEmporium

Excellent information! Thank you for the preview!
Michelle-

May 6, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. sakizome

Looking forward to a great summer!

May 6, 2009 at 8:41 p.m. simonewalsh

8 June is actually the Queen's Birthday in Australia, not Queen's Day. Also there's no mention of the fact that it's not about to be summer for half of the planet. Any chance of some suitable marketing for the rest of us? Right now I'm looking to buy scarves, not 'show some skin'!

May 6, 2009 at 8:52 p.m. beautifulbridget

Thanks so much for the heads up!

May 6, 2009 at 8:58 p.m. CollectionObsession

Thanks for the great info. So much to think about. Happy birthday Etsy!

May 6, 2009 at 9:10 p.m. twoknit

Thanks for the information!!!!!

May 6, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. VintageTwenty

I am happy to see that Vintage will be included in June's emphasized category promotions.

May 6, 2009 at 9:54 p.m. mullishmuse

experimental jewelry sounds nifty

May 6, 2009 at 10:32 p.m. sherrytruitt

What great plans, thanks for sharing them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to read this again to absorb it all.

May 6, 2009 at 10:52 p.m. Revisions

Definitely good information for all shop owners to use... I do agree with simonewalsh, It would be good to consider the international crowd too and include the seasonal needs of the other half of the planet... It could be a fun contrast play on seasons.. Hot vs. Cold, Hibernation vs. Reemergence... might be a cool marketing gig.

May 6, 2009 at 11:11 p.m. monkeyandsquirrel

stoked! this has got me very excited for the coming months! oh also... love the hot rod above. quite nice!

May 6, 2009 at 11:37 p.m. belovedbaglady

Yay...can't wait for the vintage feature stuff!!! Hopefully I'm in there somewhere!

May 7, 2009 at 1:18 a.m. galit

Thank you for all the info... will work on that!

May 7, 2009 at 2:10 a.m. bethanyjbowman

Sweet...drawing day? I LOVE IT! *clicks yes on drawing day site*

May 7, 2009 at 2:55 a.m. anakim

Thanks for all the info!

May 7, 2009 at 4:41 a.m. lilimandrill

Thanks for including my tenniswoman!
I can make custom drawings based on a photo:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

And also in other sport suits!

You can see the results of custom order in my flickr gallery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilimand...

See you soon!
Lise

May 7, 2009 at 4:50 a.m. lilimandrill

Oh and i am happy to see that may is an hot month for FRANCE! (VE Day, Cannes Film Festival, French tennis open,...

GREAT!

May 7, 2009 at 6:45 a.m. eclipse

June 14- flag day
June 16- Bloomsday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsday
June 19- Juneteenth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

June is National GLBT month (and many cities have their GLBT pride parade in June)
June 14: Los Angeles pride parade
June 28th: New York, San Francisco pride parades
June 28 2009 is also the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. (1969)
It would be great to see some rainbow themed front pages in June, Etsy.

May 7, 2009 at 6:53 a.m. BlackStar

Sounds great! Yay summer~

May 7, 2009 at 7:02 a.m. babook

it`s too much good to listening from here i was got it more of Etsy ; )............

May 7, 2009 at 7:22 a.m. ModernMetalJewelry

Good information for the coming months!

May 7, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. SomewhatHip

wow, this is the first time I've seen a post like this in the Storque - it's really nice that Etsy is sharing these themes, it inspires a lot of ideas for new items.

May 7, 2009 at 8:58 a.m. Furiousdreams

Marking Drawing Day on my own calendar~ Fantastic to see some fine art on this posting.
And great to have the trends identified ahead.
Thank you, admin team!

May 7, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. jilldrapermakesstuff

eclipse said:
June is National GLBT month (and many cities have their GLBT pride parade in June)
June 14: Los Angeles pride parade
June 28th: New York, San Francisco pride parades
June 28 2009 is also the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. (1969)
It would be great to see some rainbow themed front pages in June, Etsy.

I agree!

May 7, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. DAINTYCROCHETBYALY

Looking forward for the season ahead!
I am into color already! :=)

I am having fun, playing with bright colors
and fun designs...

Summer is intoxicationg!!

Have a great season everyone.

Thanks for all the updates, great to get inspired.. :-)

May 7, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. zombuki

New color trends sound fab, looking forward to Summer with Etsy!

May 7, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. marymary

Thank you for your feedback and thoughtful comments, we are keeping track and taking notes. Your date suggestions are helpful and informative. Rainbow front pages in June seem like a must from all angles...fabulous idea.

While this article's focus surrounds the seasonal shift into summer, we do hope you read the following from the article:

"As we place an emphasis on outdoor and summer themes throughout June and the coming months, we will also intertwine appropriate seasonal themes for those around the globe approaching cooler weather."

Etsy is absolutely a global marketplace and we are excited to highlight appropriate items and themes that have a global appeal. Thanks so much for the tip about it being time to look for scarves as cooler weather approaches in your area.

Please keep your comments and feedback coming!

May 7, 2009 at 10:03 a.m. HerenciaVintage

thanks for the info
some new categories sound exciting like drawing and dads.

May 7, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. norakaren

I love the new colors and trends...color move my life and it is constant inspiracion...I'm working on it, also drawing day,sounds fantastic,I didn't know that day existed. June 21st is also the beggining of summer in many places and a great opportunity to display designs related to the beach ,probably to outdoor sports like surf,tennis and many others and why not a barbeque! Lovely!Sounds like fun...

May 7, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. dreadsandcurls

Wonderful tips for planning purposes. I have some apricot in the store already, time to add some tennis whites!

May 7, 2009 at 12:43 p.m. bellasparty

Thanks! Love the ring with silver, gold and pearl!

May 7, 2009 at 12:58 p.m. StudioCherie

Excellent article, and thanks for the opportunities to participate in the Etsy Finds emails.

May 7, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. Morrigan

To add to Eclipse's comment,

Washington DC Gay Pride Parade Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Baltimore Gay Pride Saturday June 20, 2009

A rainbow-themed front page here and there would be a very good idea.

May 7, 2009 at 2:14 p.m. SimpleTraditions

Lots of great pics!

May 7, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. KalliopeJewelry

Thank you for this article, and for all your hard work in merchandising! Great support and help for us sellers!

May 7, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. ToScarboroughFair

Great article, great pictures. The "American in Paris" is super!

May 7, 2009 at 3:49 p.m. labonnefemme

Made a Victory day treasury in memory of my papa! thought you might like to take a look!

Thank you etsy for great ideas and great marketing!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php...

May 7, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. MissMotleys

Definately something for gay pride. It will get a lot of views.

May 7, 2009 at 4:35 p.m. Waterrose

Thanks for the headsup!

May 7, 2009 at 8:32 p.m. peaseblossomstudio

You forgot that June 21st is also Maria Thomas' birthday. And MINE!! :-)

May 7, 2009 at 9:09 p.m. TianaCHE

Thank you so much for the article and for the information!
Stunning pics

May 8, 2009 at 7:43 a.m. DanceInMyGarden

Great article! Thanks!

May 8, 2009 at 5:49 p.m. sweetbriarstudio

What a great service you provide! I'm slowing discovering all of the help and info out there for us sellers. And I SOOOoooo appreciate you taking care of a good portion of the marketing side. Thank you!

May 9, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. capitolagirl

Great insight about the upcoming areas of focus. I'm really looking forward to see the experimental jewelry finds that you come up with, and I'm stoked to see that one of your summer-themes is going to include Geekery! Thanks for the info.

May 10, 2009 at 11:15 p.m. briefmoments

Thanks so much for the info on June! Really wonderful article.

May 11, 2009 at 11:53 a.m. mylittleaura

Very interesting all this info...thanks!
Now back to work

May 12, 2009 at 7:12 a.m. paperandsparkles

thanks ! lots to think about there !

May 12, 2009 at 7:34 a.m. littlemoandfriends

thanks alot for sharing this info, really good read! cheers!

May 12, 2009 at 12:15 p.m. IlluminatedPerfume

Really love these merchandising pieces, really helps with the focus. Also appreciate the world view too. Thank you Etsy!

May 12, 2009 at 1:07 p.m. twoknit

July 9th is Indepence Day in Argentina.
Remember is Fall in the Southern Hemisphere.
Thanks,
Martha

May 12, 2009 at 1:08 p.m. twoknit

Sorry,
is Independence Day!!!!

May 12, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. PhineasandLou

This is great! I love the themes and how beautifully they are described :)

May 13, 2009 at 1:19 a.m. MelroseFields

Can't wait for the garden party treasuries...

May 13, 2009 at 11:33 a.m. EviesToolEmporium

Excellent! Looking forward to May and June! Thank you!
Michelle-

May 13, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. millcreekcottages

Thanks for sharing this information.

May 14, 2009 at 1:15 p.m. VIviansRomeo

What a great article! Love the insight into the new color buzz words. Themes are great as it gets those wonderful creative juices going in yet another direction!

May 14, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. rougeriverbeads

I'm so excited to see some supplies on the table for June! Also don't forget Canada Day on July 1st! As always looks like there are plenty of great things coming up.

May 14, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. allisajacobs

I really appreciate all of this information. This article has got me excited for the months & celebrations ahead!

May 14, 2009 at 7:01 p.m. limitz

What an interesting article! Drawing day is definantly on my list! and so are bridesmaids little girls dresses.. which leads me to Shavuot Holiday celebrated in Israel on the 28th of May, a festive holiday when we all dress white, eat lotsa cheese..., and JERUSALEM DAY, celebrated in Israel this year on the 21st of May.

May 14, 2009 at 7:26 p.m. bijougirldesigns

Great article - and very inspiring! If you do a pearl gift guide next month, I have a few things that would fit right in!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

May 15, 2009 at 1:27 a.m. SMIRNOFFdesignSTUDIO

GREAT ARTICLE!
THANKS FOR SHOWING US THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS FOR JUNE.

May 15, 2009 at 1:36 a.m. jemmetals

Mmm pearls and experimental jewelry, right up my ally. I love early summer, especially after such a long winter here in Michigan!

May 15, 2009 at 3:24 a.m. brownbunnybyiris

Thanks for all the good information!

May 15, 2009 at 2:20 p.m. AREjewellery

June 4-7th - The European Elections! The whole of the EU goes to the polls! Quite an important event I would say.

May 16, 2009 at 10:39 p.m. Fishstikks

I love the idea of drawing day!
Thanks for all this great information!!

May 17, 2009 at 12:24 a.m. Enuwbe

It is fun to add the summer selections, however, nice to know we should keep our long sleeves listed. Thanks for all the heads up, I have had so much fun working with these fun themes. Thank You!

May 17, 2009 at 7:15 a.m. lilipadcreations

Great article! Great having some suggestions to think about as we create, too, not just having in mind things we have in stock!! June is also the month that school finishes and we head into summer camp (for those of us with school aged kiddos!!) that might be a cool theme, supplies for camp...lunch bags, smocks, soap with nat bug repellents....
Thanks again for a great article!

May 17, 2009 at 7:50 p.m. bazketmakr

I love having tips and information like this. Thanks so much for putting it all together! You guys are fabulous!

May 19, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. themefragrance

thanks for the event reminders..

May 20, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. MelroseFields

I love the garden party idea. So many items on Etsy for a uniquely decorated outdoor party, garden, roof top, stoop...anywhere!

May 21, 2009 at 11:18 p.m. papermusedesigns

Don't forget - June 21 is National Aboriginal Day in Canada!

June 1, 2009 at 5:11 p.m. maclancy

I love the picnic idea and am sooo ready to picnic!
thanks for the info in helping us make Etsy a better place to merchandise and shop!
happy summer!

June 2, 2009 at 11:03 p.m. Sybillinart

lots of ideas to work on ; Thank you ...

June 13, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. AmourAmi

Thank you for all the info... will work on that!

June 26, 2009 at 10:24 p.m. eclipse

Marymary said:
"Rainbow front pages in June seem like a must from all angles...fabulous idea."

well it is now Pride weekend and there has not been one Storque article or front page that I have seen celebrating gay pride month.

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