Etsy expands into Central Europe as DaWanda winds down operations

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Jul 3, 2018

Etsy Inc announced on Monday that it has entered into a referral agreement with DaWanda, the Germany-based marketplace for gifts and homemade goods, in a deal that will see the U.S. online platform expand into Central Europe.

According to a press release, DaWanda's community of buyers and sellers will migrate to the Etsy platform from July 2, as the privately held European firm winds down its operations in the coming months.

However, under the deal, Etsy will not acquire any of DaWanda's assets, liabilities, or employees, the release added.

The German market has long been a key geographic segment for the New York-based platform with DaWanda's 2 million active buyers and 70,000 active sellers a key pickup in this latest deal for Etsy, according Josh Silverman, Etsy's CEO.

"We have nurtured our community (in Germany) through investments in marketing, technology, community events, and talent in our Berlin office," said Silverman.

"This agreement expands our reach within Germany and Central Europe, and we're delighted to welcome DaWanda sellers and buyers as we continue to make significant investments to drive global growth of the Etsy platform.

Likewise, Etsy's current marketplace of 35 million active buyers and 50 million listings poses great potential for DaWanda's Central European sellers to grow their businesses in the U.S. and beyond.

Over the summer months, the pair will orchestrate the transition of both buyers and sellers on to the Etsy site. DaWanda sellers will be able to import their shops and listings to Etsy free of charge with increased marketing, German and Polish customer support, and a full translation of Etsy's website to Polish.

There will also be expanded payment options in Germany through a new partnership with Klarna. 

Founded in 2006, DaWanda's marketplace features approximately 4 million items with seller and buyer bases in Germany, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland.