Some 43% of Etsy UK sellers trading have made their creative career trading on and off Etsy says Etsy Global Seller Census Report. At 43% of UK sellers, this is the highest proportion anywhere in the world – the average is 32% meaning Etsy are responsible for the higher proportion of job creation in the UK.
Some 6,797 Etsy sellers across Etsy’s core markets including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, and France participated in an online interview from the 24th of April to the 14th of May 2018. The sample was taken from a database of sellers who had sold at least one item in the previous 12 months.
According to the report, the UK has the highest percentage of sellers pursuing their creative career on Etsy. There are about 220,000 active sellers in the United Kingdom, as of December 31, 2018. That’s up 19% from 2017.
Some 87% of Etsy sellers are women, with 9% of Etsy sellers operate their businesses from home individually (79%).
Regional representations
The regional representation across the UK shifted somewhat since Etsy’s last report, with more sellers moving from city centres to more suburban areas. Some 43% of sellers are running their shops from suburban towns now, as opposed to 38% in 2017, and 26% of Etsy sellers are from urban areas, versus 30% in 2017.
Notable market differentials
Notably, in the UK, sellers have increased their high street presence. Some 6% of sellers that sell their wares through multiple platforms do so through a retail store they own or operate. This is a 50% increase in brick and mortar presence from Etsy’s last UK seller census in 2017. Also, as opposed to other core markets, Etsy sellers in the UK are more likely to have a separate studio or workspace—though the vast majority (94%) still run their shop from their homes.
Income from creative business income as part of total household income jumped 3% points to 18%, meaning income from their creative business is contributing significantly more to their overall household income than previous studies.
