Etsy helps sellers produce more by connecting them with manufacturing
In recent months, Etsy announced a few new initiatives to make selling goods on its site a bit eaiser. Following crowdfunding and same-day delivery efforts, the online retail hub plans to take on manufacturing next. With a beta phase that'll begin in late 2015, Etsy will connect sellers with manufacturers in printing, apparel/textile, machining/fabrication, and jewelry and metalwork to handle the making of goods and increasing production capacity. Those areas are just the beginning, though, as the company plans to add more "industries" in the future. During the test period, Etsy Manufacturing will link sellers and manufacturers for free, but when the service goes live, it'll take a cut (no pricing yet) for its role as matchmaker. What's more, the trial will only be available to manufacturing outfits in the US and Canada, but plans are for the program to expand internationally later. Etsy can also reject any partnership if it violates the company's ethical expectations that keep an eye out for child labor, involuntary labor, inhumane working conditions, discrimination and sustainability.
[Image credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
