Etsy is testing a feature to optimize sellers' listing titles - automatically. While Etsy runs most tests (aka "experiments") without letting sellers or buyers know, in this case, Etsy invited sellers to join the beta test, according to Cindy Baldassi, who published the invitation to sellers - an excerpt follows:

Baldassi, an Etsy expert and consultant, wrote about ... Read More

Some Amazon sellers panicked this week when they saw a banner telling them their account was at risk of deactivation. One reader thought it must have been related to the recent issue dealing with Amazon adding the Brazil marketplace to sellers' accounts, and he said Amazon seller support told him to ignore the message and it would go away. But then he realized it was related to the verification process necessitated by the Inform Act.

On a post on the Amazon seller discussion board, a seller warned colleagues not to panic if they saw the message:

Online sellers must brace themselves for another shipping rate hike in 3 months. The USPS published its rate request for new "Market Dominant" rates on April 9 to take effect in July, when the price of a stamp is set to rise by 5 cents from 68 cents to 73 cents - an increase of 7.4%, and Media Mail rates will increase by an average of 9.867%.

Today's announcement only covers Market Dominant rates, which do not include several services popular with small online sellers such as Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage.

Typically the USPS follows up its request for ... Read More

Etsy sellers are wondering if buyers are as turned off as they are with a new feature Etsy rolled out nearly 3 weeks ago. Etsy began displaying a popup box as visitors click on listings. It displays a thumbnail image of the most recent item they favorited along with a sales pitch.

"I tried unfavoriting the item and then it started showing the next item in my favorites list," a seller wrote on March 19th. "It's driving me batty."

We favorited an item on Etsy this morning (April 6) and then went perusing listings. Sure enough, when we went into a listing, a ... Read More

Mercari upended the concept of marketplace fees last week by announcing it would no longer charge selling fees. Buyers and sellers are still discussing the ramifications 9 days later, but Mercari itself says it's satisfied with its decision.

Beginning March 27th, it's free to list items on Mercari, and there's no commission when there's a sale. Instead, buyers pay fees, something almost unheard of in ecommerce. 

We asked the company if it has seen any changes in the number of listings, sales, and number of sellers listing items. Mercari's spokesperson told us today, "It's too early to share specifics but what I can ... Read More