Podcast Episode 90: Holiday Season Etsy Trends 2023

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/jXTh_XdFcAM 

Hey friends! Welcome welcome! I’m so glad to be back with you this week! How are you doing?

Are your kiddos headed back to school yet? My 8 year old started back on August 9^th which feels way too early. When I was a kid, we didn’t go back until after labor day--- BUT we didn’t finish until a week or two into June and that was the worst. So I guess this is better.

Since my daughter, Lorelai, is in an online homeschool program, we’re still hanging out at our home up in northern Wisconsin and I am so profoundly grateful to be out of the Texas heat, let me tell you.

But the season is definitely changing and I’ve been thinking about you guys a lot! How are you feeling heading into the biggest ecommerce season of the year? I’m SO excited to help you hit your goals. It feels like this is about to be such a big pivot point for a lot of you. The busy season is going to teach you so much about what works in your shop, what doesn’t, and give you lots of insights into where to go from here!

I’ll say, as someone who just started a print on demand shop for the first time this year, I’m so curious to see how the holidays go. I know I’ll need to be on my toes adjusting to changing production times and certain colors and sizes being unavailable and shipping shenanigans. You better believe Jenny and Heather will be on speed dial, God love ‘em. But I’ll keep you posted on how all that goes.

So—one point of housekeeping before we dive into our holiday trend report. I know I must sound like a broken record to some of you, lollll and I’m so sorry, but I’m still getting a bunch of DMs and emails asking about my Etsy course overhaul coming out in a few weeks—so I’m going to take a moment to share an update and explain what’s happening to hopefully help anyone who’s not sure what the deal is.

Ok, so, I currently have an Etsy course called Listings that Sell that I released in 2021. Pretty much everything in there is evergreen—meaning it’s not outdated at all. It’s the whole research and SEO process that helped me build my multi-six-figure sign shop on Etsy.

It’s only $97 right now and if you go through my free Etsy masterclass, you can actually get it for just $77.

BUT—I’ve learned a ton since then both about Etsy and how to write an effective course curriculum, so this year I’ve been creating a 2.0 version of this course that has a TONNNN more to it.

It’s got the click-by-click basics for brand new sellers. It has a whole explanation of how the algorithm works. It explains how demand works on Etsy and how to find and leverage demand. It has a whole SEO bootcamp that is much larger and has more advanced strategy than the original course. It includes a very detailed section showing how to use 3^rd party tools for SEO as well. I have a shipping section because I know what a pain point that can be. And that’s just some of it. When I release it you’ll get to see a full list of everything it has.

But it's truly an overhaul and it’s going to be an exceptional course. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but I’m genuinely really proud of it. It’s been such a beast. LOLLLL And this is going to be a $600 course instead of a $97 course.

So the question I’ve been getting the most frequently is—should you buy the course now or wait for when the new one comes out? And the answer is absolutely get it NOW.

BECAUSE--- for every single one of you who gets into the original course before the new one comes out, you’re going to get a totally free upgrade. In a few weeks I’m going to wipe that original course out of the membership and just put the new one in its place as a 2.0 version.

So spend the $97 (or $77) now--- because you’ll get the new, more robust course completely on me just for being here.

But don’t wait, because as soon as it’s live, the new pricing will be in place and you won’t be able to grab it for the low price anymore. You’ll just have to be patient with me for a few weeks--- and have a little delayed gratification—because I’m juggling back to school and a baby on a sleep strike Hahahahaha!

In the meantime, I totally recommend watching all the research videos in particular on the existing course, though. I still use that strategy today and teach it exclusively when my clients don’t want to use 3^rd party tools.

I hope that helps! So sorry for any confusion before. I think folks are just shocked that I would hand out the overhaul for free rather than charge for the upgrade since it’s so massive and different. But yes—really truly—you’ll get it free. It’s my gift to you for being my Ogs. 💗 I know it’s super rare these days and the internet is full of selfish people and scammers, but I’m genuinely obsessed with your success.

Ok, so moving on! Let’s talk about Etsy’s holiday trends! This seems to be one of your very favorite topics when I do these episodes and I’m excited to explore it.

Last week, Etsy published their 2023 Holiday Trend report in our Seller Handbook. They regularly add new articles there and it’s a treasure trove of relevant information.

I will say, this year’s holiday report was shorter than it’s been in the past—but we did just have the fall one come out in June which I didn’t notice in years past. So I’m wondering if maybe Etsy is finding it more helpful to publish shorter trend reports more frequently. There’s plenty to talk about though so I’m definitely not mad about it.

They’ve also announced some other changes recently so I’ll hit on those at the end as well so you guys are in the know.

I know these episodes are heavy on the data and sometimes it can feel overwhelming to hear it all and know what to do with it. So before we dive in to the specifics, here are some ways that this information can help you in your shop:

-You can get ideas for new products to offer

-Come up with content ideas for your social media efforts

-Get inspiration for updating your listing photos with on-trend styling

-Refresh your shop banner with seasonal details

-Include seasonally relevant top searched keywords to your titles, descriptions, and tags

(however, a caveat to this one—if you have a listing that’s performing well—you’re getting regular sales or have a best-seller badge, DO NOT EVER update the SEO in your titles and tags especially. If you want to include new keywords—seasonal and otherwise, instead you need to copy that listing and change the keywords in the title and tags of the copied version. It’s totally OK to have more than one listing for the same product)

-Adjust your inventory as appropriate for expected upticks and key occasions

-It can help you choose which listings would be best supported by Etsy ads

-And finally, to get a deeper understanding overall of what’s happening in the marketplace

Near the beginning of the trend report, Etsy posts a list of key dates that can be really helpful, so if you’d like to see a list of dates for all the main holidays and occasions you can plan for between Oct 9 and the New Year, check out Etsy’s Marketplace insights guide linked in the shownotes.

The first area we’re going to cover is décor trends.

Décor Trends:

The first one that’s expected to be big is:

Cozy kitsch: Etsy describes it this way and I could not have said it better, “Call it cottagecore, grandmillenial, or just charmingly chaotic, this festive decorating mood is all about nostalgic details. Its whimsy comes from not taking itself too seriously and being unafraid to blend different styles.”

So we’re continuing to see the trend from the beginning of the year where people just want to mix and match to make their décor their own. They’re sort of throwing off the rules of following a specific style, and instead they’re picking things that are high quality and feel just like them.

They like layers, patterns, and eclectic pieces.

This leads us to:

Eclectic table settings: Which Etsy describes as, “This mix-and-match approach to dining decor feels creative and approachable. Appeal to shoppers with a variety of patterns, new and vintage pieces, and colored glassware.”

This is another trend that has carried throughout the year with the glassware and vintage pieces being really in.

225% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “colored glass dishes”

Adjacent to this trend is the rural chic, layering that we’re seeing where shoppers are drawn to things like gingham patterns, natural woods, flowers, farm animals, and prairie aesthetics.

Oh my gosh you guys—this is even carrying over to the print on demand space. I’m in Brittany Lewis’ Wolf School which is a monthly membership that covers what’s trending on Etsy in Print on Demand (I’ll link it in case you want to join me)—and it’s been the year of the animal. People are buying the wackiest stuff on shirts and totes.

But for this décor, if last year’s decorating theme was the table, this year it’s the mantle featuring small impactful collections.

673% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “candle lantern”

The next décor trend for the holiday season is:

Evergreen holiday: Which Etsy is calling, “Budget-minded and environmentally conscious shoppers should love this shift towards seasonless holiday decor.” 

So it sounds like people are looking for items to refresh their space for the holiday, but they want them to work year-round as well. I think that’s so interesting!

Etsy has seen a:

277% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “wooden christmas tree decor”

And they added, “With sustainability in mind, many buyers are opting for ornaments made of solid hardwood over plastic. They’re looking for reusable advent calendars (including ones for pets), store-flat folded paper decorations, and reusable wrapping paper.”

We’re really leaning into the earth-loving vibes this holiday. I’m very curious about reusable wrapping paper! I haven’t heard of that before! We definitely try to get multiple lives out of our gift bags though.

And finally in décor, the Vintage Vibes are very dominant:

-We’re seeing lots of Candy pastels

 (ALSO-- ps—pink, the color of the summer, is expected to stick around through the holidays. Whatever happened to indigo and honeycomb? We’ll never know. All I can guess is BARBIE.)

There’s been a 106% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “iridescent sequin items”

-We’re seeing searches for Flocked reindeer

-And Faux food (think of inedible fruit on tablescapes and glossy apples hanging on the tree)

-Silver finishes for a nostalgic nod

-Antiques galore

-And Ceramic trees are trending for a mid-century vibe

41% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “ceramic tree”

Next up, let’s talk style trends…

Style Trends:

-The big one that Etsy is seeing this holiday season is “Fairytale fashion”

They described it as “The most festive looks of the season take inspiration from rustic cottagecore fantasies, but add in luxe elements like satin for a bit of holiday spice.”

But I had to look into this trend more because--- wow. What a name! And I was surprised to learn that the phrase and concept of “Fairytale fashion” actually emerged in 2016! There was a popular exhibition at the Museum at FIT (which stands for the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York)  back in 2016 specifically examining fairy tales through the lens of high fashion.

There was a really interesting article about it on Google’s art and culture blog that I will link in the shownotes for you in case you want to read more about it.

And then this year the Rodarte Fall/Winter 2023 Fashion Show appears to have revived Fairytale Fashion on its runway. Then we saw Nicole Kidman rocking a Fairytale ball gown at the Met Gala in May. REALLY interesting to see all the nods to this style trend.

Here are the items that Etsy specifically listed that are being searched for on the platform:

• Oversize bows
• Over-the-knee socks
• Patterned tights
• Rich textures
• Cozy knits
• Soft velvets
• Vintage costume jewelry
• Detailed patterns like toile, busy floral, and landscape scenes

143% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “toile pattern”

ALSO in style, we’re seeing:

-High Contrast pairings--- with an emphasis on evergreen, refined minimalistic vibes. It appears that black and white combos are in demand as the timeless pair.

-Rich earth tones—brown is a key color this year with lots of beige shades following suit.

-Red Hot: The tomato girl trend will continue into the holidays with splashes of red

7% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “red dress”

-We’ll also being seeing Winter brights which is referring to pops of color throughout different wardrobe and accessory pieces

-Liquid Metal—metallics in bronzes, silvers and gold

-Gorgeous goths—which they’re calling dark romantic fashion   

And--

-Maxi moment: more options with extra coverage are in this season

With a 75% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “denim maxi skirt”

And finally, a ‘50s revival: Etsy’s report states that, “Recent runway shows suggest we’ll be seeing more full skirts, tapered waists, and playful polka dots come winter into spring.” How fascinating!

Our final topic to cover from the report is Gifting trends. This is always so interesting AND important since Etsy is THE place to procure gifts especially for the gifting season.

The first trend that Etsy is expecting is a focus on Practical Presents. In alignment with the frugality and sustainability mindsets this year, shoppers are looking for gifts that have utility in addition to being cute or fun.

46% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for personalized ceramic mugs

The trend report adds “The key is in making ordinary objects feel a little luxurious and more enjoyable to use with upgraded materials and handmade details.” So there’s a focus on really creating a special moment and a high quality product. Not just filler.

We’re also seeing the expected interest in Host and hostess gifts:

“Think: Festive wine bottle bags, sculptural candles, or linen tea towels.”

162% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “tea towel gift”

Entertaining Essentials are continuing strong will more focus on glassware and barware as we saw early in the year. This one has some a striking percentage at:

5,536% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for handmade barware or glassware

While budgets may be tight, people are spending quality time together looking for simple entertainment. So great gift ideas may include cozy crafts and activities:

Etsy suggest that we “Offer shoppers imaginative ways to bond with friends and family through creative projects. Baking tops the list of holiday pastimes, so stock sweet supplies like engraved rolling pins, custom cookie cutters, sugar stencils, measuring cup sets, and bakeware.”

150% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “christmas cookie cutter stamp”

And finally, the ever-present trend of Hyper personalized gifts. This is a year round, never changing theme that you can always count on.

People love a personalized or customized item—especially for gifting. To mix it up a bit, Etsy asks:

“How can you offer new takes on existing personalization styles? Consider custom colorways or color combos, fonts and hand lettering based on a customer’s handwriting, or ways to incorporate a buyer’s family tree.”

30% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “custom cocktail napkin”

18,255% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “zodiac sign gift”

And that’s the list! So like we talked about at the beginning, how can you take bits and pieces of this report to tweak and prepare for the holidays?

Can you incorporate some pink? The color of the year? In your products, or social media posts, or seasonal branding?

Can you offer some new personalization options to help shoppers find the perfect gift from your shop?

Is it possible with your product line to lean into some of the more general trends like vintage, or sustainability, or practicality, or cozy kitsch?

Is there somewhere you can incorporate animals to give a nod to that trend?

Hopefully you got some ideas on the overarching vibes coming down the pike this holiday season and you can use them somehow or at the very least, feel more familiar with what’s happening trend wise.

If you missed the fall trends episode back in June, it’s still very relevant as we move into the fall months, so I’ll link both that AND the Fall Trends article posted by Etsy in the shownotes for y’all.

Fall Trend Episode: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/blog/fall-trends-2023

2023 fall trends: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1148199715118

And before we sign off for today, there are a few notable changes that are in the process of happening on the Etsy platform that I want to make sure you’re aware of.

The first one is—Etsy is changing the thumbnail dimensions beginning any day now. So for a few years, in the search results, everything appeared as rectangle and we all adjusted our thumbnails to follow suit.

But Etsy is always testing things and researching how shoppers interact with the platform—and they discovered that people were more likely to make a purchase when they were presented with a square shaped thumbnail.

So basically any day now, you’ll start to notice the photos in your shop and those across the Etsy platform will be cropped to squares. And you may need to adjust the way you have some (or all) of your thumbnail photos positioned so they look their best in the search results.

I definitely also recommend taking your photos or creating your images in a square shape going forward as well. Depending on how detailed your product is, usually a 2500x2500 pixel image does really well and doesn’t appear pixelated in the feed.

I’ll link that announcement for you if you’d like to read more about it.

The other change that I think will make a lot of sellers happy is that they’re changing up the payment reserves protocol. If you haven’t heard about them before, payment reserves is when Etsy holds back a portion of your net sales income until after you’ve shipped a product to ensure that the transaction is completed for the customer.

They had a lot of scamming happening and tons of new shady sellers that joined the platform mostly between 2020-2021 and they had to create a more secure transaction for customers where Etsy had a resource pool to provide a refund when the seller didn’t follow through with the transaction.

If you’d like to hear more about that --- check out podcast episode #83 (which also happens to be the Fall Trends episode!).

BUT there was A LOT of upset from sellers-- and in the UK for sure and potentially also in the states-- there was literal news coverage for some shops where Etsy was holding large amounts of their profit to the tune of $20k in reserves and they couldn’t carry on with their business because they couldn’t fulfill $20k worth of orders without the funds. It makes perfect sense--- that would be impossible for most businesses to survive, least of all an Etsy seller!

So I was put on reserve in my POD shop, but it wasn’t remotely that steep. I was able to function very well. But I wasn’t selling tens of thousands of items at the time and my reserve was only maybe 25%.

There have been shops, however, that it was more than they could handle—so it sounds like we’re coming back to a sort of balance. I will, of course, link the announcement for you about the changes to reserves, but the critical statement Etsy made was, “For the vast majority of sellers, we are substantially decreasing the percentage of funds we currently hold in reserve.”

They also said they would be communicating more clearly with sellers being put on reserves to help them understand why it was happening and what they could do.

So good news! I hope that makes you happy! And those are our updates this week.

And that’s all she wrote, my friends! It’s been wonderful being with your for another episode of How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy. Thank you for sharing your extremely precious time with me. I value that—and you—more than I could ever say.

So let me know how you like this one! Happy Holidays! LOL! And until next week, go make something awesome! Love y’all!

EPISODE DETAILS:

This week we’re covering the holiday 2023 trend report that was just released by Etsy corporate. We’ll go over what trends are expected for décor, fashion, and gifting this year and how you can lean into them no matter what you sell.

**“How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy” is not affiliated with or endorsed by Etsy.com

STUFF I MENTIONED:

Current Etsy Course (Listings that Sell): https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/etsy-listings-that-sell

Free Etsy Masterclass (access my course for $77): https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/masterclass

Etsy Seller Handbook: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook?ref=handbook

Etsy’s Holiday 2023 Trend Report: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1185545067991?ref=handbook

Brittany Lewis’ Wolf School (monthly membership for trends): https://www.beawolfbiz.com/a/2147505639/CKjfHLxd

Podcast Episode 77: Top 1% Etsy POD Seller Shares the SECRET to How She Earned Over $600k on the Etsy Platform—with Brittany Lewis: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/blog/etsy-pod-secrets

Fairy Tale Fashion: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/fairy-tale-fashion-the-museum-at-fit/PgXBun-debzuKw?hl=en

Fall Trend Podcast Episode: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/blog/fall-trends-2023

2023 Fall Trend Report: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1148199715118

Changing thumbnail sizes: https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/We-re-making-updates-to-size-and-ratio-for-listing-images/td-p/142858294

Etsy Reserves changes: https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/Updates-to-our-payment-account-reserves/m-p/142936726#M1877

Book a coaching session with Lizzie: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/coaching

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Find me on Instagram and TikTok @HowtoSellYourStuff

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HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF WEBSITE: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/

HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/howtosellyourstuff/

HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF SHOWNOTES: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/blog/Etsy-Holiday-Trends-2023 

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Paige Hulse Law and the Creative Law Shop

Whether you’re just getting started on Etsy or you’ve been selling for years but never quite got around to the legal setup, I want to make sure you know about Attorney Paige Hulse and her Creative Law Shop.

If you need legal assistance for your Etsy shop, want to register a trademark, or are looking for help with forming a business—contact Paige at https://paigehulse.com/

AND

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Make sure you use the code smiley10 for 10% off of anything from the Creative Law Shop!

*Some of the links above are affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. You can see my affiliate disclosure here: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/affiliate-disclosure