To What Extent has the Pandemic Improved the Standard of Living of Etsy Sellers in the United States?

This paper investigates the standard of living of US-based Etsy sellers in 2021, who are the backbone behind the ever-growing creative online industry. As Etsy becomes increasingly relevant, it is vital to investigate the challenges faced by the seller community. With the Covid-19 pandemic striking the world economy in 2020 and 2021, new challenges and opportunities inevitably arose for Etsy sellers. Furthermore, because of large shutdowns in the US, the discussion around Etsy being an alternative for sellers in the creative goods industry is also growing. This research paper attempts to shed light on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Etsy sellers, focusing primarily on three sections: customer-seller interactions during the pandemic, the financial wellbeing of sellers, and the effects of Etsy's exertion of control on sellers. After taking a triangulation approach to the research process analyzing qualitative interviews and descriptive statistics from various US-based Etsy seller volunteers, this researcher drew three primary findings. First, the pandemic prompted increasing customer-seller interactions, leading to a change in positive ratings and sales. Secondly, this researcher did not find sufficient evidence of an improvement in the financial wellbeing of sellers, given changes in the pandemic surrounding physical stores and country-wide restrictions. Lastly, this researcher found that Etsy’s exertion of control through company policies frustrated many sellers, citing diminishing autonomy as a concern. Looking ahead, the findings outlined above could have implications surrounding not just Etsy but the future of the creative online industry through the aftermath of the pandemic, whether it is the financial wellbeing of sellers, customer-seller interactions, or company control.