One of the common questions that arises among the more ambitious Etsy sellers is “How many Etsy shops can I have?”. In this blog post, we’re not just answering that question, but we’re also providing a deep dive into what this means for you, the seller. We’ll explore the rules for owning multiple shops, and then dive into the potential benefits and challenges of running more than one shop. We’ll also highlight some essential tools that can make this process smoother.
Table of Contents
How many Etsy shops can you have?
When it comes to the number of shops a single seller can have, Etsy offers great flexibility. As a platform that values creativity and uniqueness, Etsy allows sellers to own and operate as many shops as they wish.
This policy is intended to encourage sellers to explore various artistic avenues and give each of their creative outlets an independent platform.
Etsy’s rules for multiple shops
While the freedom to own multiple shops sounds exciting, it’s important to note that Etsy has set up rules to maintain a fair and organized marketplace. Make sure to follow the essential Etsy rules if you want to avoid problems for any of your shops.
Having separate accounts
A core rule is that each Etsy shop should be linked to a separate account and therefore a separate email address. This structure keeps your businesses independent and ensures that each shop has its own distinct identity. In fact, this limitation is embedded in the Etsy platform and you can’t circumvent it even if you wanted to.
Avoiding duplicate listings or products
Etsy values uniqueness. Therefore, it’s crucial that the products you list in your different shops are not identical. Offering a variety of products helps maintain the uniqueness of your stores and enhances the shopping experience for customers.
Keeping the shops unique
Etsy discourages sellers from simply duplicating their existing shop as a shortcut to getting a new shop up and running. Instead, each shop should be unique, offering different products and targeting different customer segments. The authenticity of your shops contributes to a robust and varied Etsy marketplace.
Using the same credit card or bank account
Though every shop requires a separate account, Etsy allows you to use the same financial details – bank account or credit card – for all your shops. This simplifies the financial management of multiple stores, allowing you to track revenues and costs across all your shops with ease.
Disclosing your multiple shops
Honesty is a crucial value in the Etsy community. As a seller operating multiple shops, it’s essential to disclose this fact in each shop’s description. This transparency allows customers to explore and appreciate all the creative outlets you offer.
Benefits of multiple Etsy shops
Having multiple Etsy shops can certainly be beneficial. It offers unique opportunities like serving diverse audiences, introducing varied product lines, experimenting with different branding, and customizing policies per shop. Let’s delve deeper into these advantages to understand how they can help enhance your Etsy experience and grow your business.
Catering to different audiences
With multiple shops, you can tailor each one to appeal to a unique audience or demographic. This allows you to create a more personalized shopping experience for different customer segments, increasing the potential for customer satisfaction and repeat business.
The opportunity for different products
When you have multiple shops, you can also offer a wider range of products without confusing or overwhelming your customers. By aligning each shop with a specific product niche, you also improve the effectiveness of Etsy’s search algorithm, helping your customers find exactly what they’re looking for.
The fun of different branding
Each shop you own can have its own branding, aligning with its specific audience and product line. This allows you to experiment with various branding styles and find what works best for each of your target demographics.
Policy flexibility across shops
Owning multiple shops also enables you to establish different policies for each one. For example, you might choose to allow returns in one shop while maintaining a strict no-return policy in another, giving you the flexibility to manage each shop based on its unique customer needs and business model.
Potential risks of multiple shops
While there are numerous benefits to running multiple Etsy shops, it’s also important to understand the potential challenges and risks associated with this approach.
The demands of management
Managing multiple Etsy shops significantly increases the scope of your responsibilities. Each shop operates independently, requiring individual care and attention for elements like branding, inventory, listings, and customer service. You’ll need to design unique logos, banners, and shop announcements, curate distinctive product collections, and ensure each shop’s identity aligns with its specific brand.
The challenge of starting a new shop
Starting a new Etsy shop presents its unique set of challenges, particularly around building popularity. Despite any success with an existing shop, each new shop starts from ground zero – no sales, no reviews, and no established customer base. You’re required to boost your shop’s visibility through strategic efforts like optimizing listings for search, investing in various marketing avenues, and gradually fostering a reputation. Despite these efforts, gaining momentum in a competitive market can be a slow and meticulous process, making the journey to popularity a notable challenge in the world of multiple Etsy shops.
The risk of shop closure
If one of your shops violates Etsy’s rules and gets closed, all your connected shops might be at risk as well. Therefore, it’s vital to familiarize yourself with Etsy’s policies and ensure compliance across all your shops.
Tools for managing multiple shops
Thankfully, managing multiple Etsy shops can be made easier with the right tools.
Koalanda
Koalanda is a platform of tools for Etsy sellers that allows you to manage up to 5 shops for the same price. Koalanda offers many features that can be an invaluable timesaver for your businesses:
- unlimited keyword lists – you can organize the keywords for your shops in separate lists without any limitation
- unlimited shop lists – you can track your competitors by storing them in an unlimited number of shop lists
- unlimited keyword searches – the unlimited number of keyword searches will be more than enough for the keyword research for all of your shops
- unlimited product searches – you can look for new product niches in Etsy as much as you like
Craftybase
Craftybase is a powerful inventory management tool for Etsy and other platforms. It can connect multiple Etsy shops, streamlining your inventory management process across all your businesses.
Canva
Canva is a design tool that, while not exclusively for Etsy, can be extremely useful for managing your shops’ branding. With one Canva account, you can manage all your shops’ visual content, making it easier to maintain a unique and engaging visual identity for each of your shops.
Conclusion
Owning multiple Etsy shops can be an exciting opportunity to explore your creativity, reach different customer segments, and grow your business. By following Etsy’s guidelines, understanding the potential challenges, and utilizing the right tools, you can manage multiple successful Etsy shops and maximize your selling potential.
