How Etsy Sellers Deal With Holiday Sales

If you’re an Etsy seller, you’re most likely seeing a major uptick in sales during the holiday season. This is true for most small businesses — in fact, 20 to 40 percent of sales take place in November and December. But how do Etsy sellers deal with holiday sales when they’re often just one-person operations?

This is something I’ve been working on since I first started my Etsy shop two and a half years ago. Of course, the holiday rush is way easier now that I’m not taking finals at the same time. But once Thanksgiving hits, I can anticipate a few weeks of hectic knitting to get my handmade items in the mail before Christmas.

Here’s some advice for dealing with the holiday rush, so you can enjoy the extra profits without feeling to stressed during what’s supposed to be one of the happiest time of the year.

Plan Your Inventory

This tip will vary depending on the nature of your store. If you have a set array of goods, it might be nice to stock up on your bestsellers during the slower seasons. If you’re like me and make goods to order, then you can use those months to create a few of the most reliable listings in the hopes that it can help with the stress of the holiday crafting rush.

I sell much fewer hats in the summer, so I spent the time knitting some of my favorites in order to build up a stock for holiday craft fairs and sales. While I still have plenty of custom orders to knit, I’ve already sent a couple of pre-made hats out. It’s saved me a couple days of knitting during the crazy month of November, and helped me even out my workload over the year.

Set a Holiday Deadline

If it takes you time to craft your goods, then it’s best to set a deadline for new orders that will arrive by Christmas. The last thing you want is a disappointed customer who expected something by the holiday, only to realize they ordered it too late.

This deadline will of course vary from shop to shop. You can list it in a shop announcement and/or in all of your listing descriptions. Since it takes me 2-3 days to knit a hat, depending on the time I have to devote to it, I set my order deadline about 2 weeks before Christmas — and this can still be tight, depending on how many orders I have.

You should also note that the USPS can have longer shipping times the closer you get to the holidays. They recommend shipping first class by Dec. 20 to guarantee timely arrival. Prepare yourself to deal with extra work on your end and theirs.

Swamped? Check Your Prices

If you find yourself struggling to meet the extra holiday demand, try to reconsider your pricing standards. I’m hesitant to do this, but it’s important to value your time and effort when pricing your Etsy goods. One way for Etsy sellers to deal with holiday sales can be to make a little more and do a little less — evening out profits without getting overwhelmed.

You might discourage some customers who would otherwise make an order. But the higher prices should naturally regulate your heightened workload if you price it right. Aim not to raise prices by more than ~ 5% of the regular price. Remember that slow periods can be normal, but you can always change the prices back if you’re concerned about too big a sales hit.

Prepare For Shipping

Make sure you stock up on mailers or boxes, shipping labels, and other packaging materials. You don’t want a sudden bump in sales to overwhelm your shipping process. If you have custom packaging, assemble your tissue paper, notes and other materials so everything is good to go whenever you’re ready to mail your goods.

Shipping can be one of my most overlooked steps. During the holidays, a couple days’ delay makes a huge difference, however. I already have to venture out in the freezing cold to drop off my packages — the least I can do is make sure I don’t have to rush out to buy bubble mailers.

Expect the Rush to Last Until January

Etsy advises that holiday sales can last well into January. My experience is that this is certainly the case, especially since I sell knit goods. So while you might breathe a little easier after Christmas, you should use any slow days to prepare for a potential January rush.

While the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas make up the bulk of my seasonal sales, I saw a ton of sales increases the next month as well. This gives you about a 3-month rush in total, which makes all the previous tips extra important. Having a built-up inventory and plenty of shipping supplies can make all the difference.

Etsy Sellers Deal With Holiday Sales

The holiday rush is honestly a blessing. I probably make at least 60% of my yearly profits in just these three months. But they can also put a lot on your plate. Etsy sellers deal with holiday sales according to their own shop’s needs, but I hope these tips gave you a little guidance to help you out with the busy season.

What’s your experience with holiday sales? Share them below!