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Few businesses manage the leap from start up to high-growth business. Learn what it takes to scale up and take your business to the next level.

Etsy sees big rise in sellers as side hustles take off

8 June 2021

The number of active Etsy sellers almost doubled in 2020 as almost two million people worldwide looked for new ways to earn money from home during the pandemic.

A new study by Money.co.uk has found that the number of people using Etsy to sell products rose from 2.69 million active accounts in 2019 to 4.63 million in 2020 as many people decided to turn their hobbies into thriving businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big cities around the world saw a significant rise in the number of people setting up their own businesses as many people were furloughed or lost their jobs.

The findings suggest that London is the side hustle capital of the UK, with over 1.1 million products being sold by Londoners on Etsy in 2020. The most popular business category in the city is home and living (which includes homewares and crafts), followed by jewellery, art and collectibles. With each product averaging £10.57 per item, these businesses are potentially bringing income of £11 million to entrepreneurial Londoners running a side hustle.

Other UK cities where online side hustles are booming are Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Southampton. In global terms, New York has the largest number of Etsy listings, with 2.9 million in total contributing, on average, $43.8 million (£31m) to Etsy sellers.

When it comes to business types, the most popular category by far, accounting for 25% of all Etsy sellers, is home and living. This includes everything from furniture to crafts. Art and collectibles is the second most popular side hustle with 21% of Etsy sellers in this category. Jewellery comes in third place, with 15% of Etsy sellers having listings in this category. Sellers in electronics and pet supplies stand out from the crowd - the findings show that just 1% of all Etsy stores have products listed in this category.

Written by Rachel Miller.