Etsy Lets You Shop The Online Boutiques Offline

Although Etsy is an online community, it also fosters the idea of a network of offline communities around the world. The peer-to-peer marketplace has launched a digital guide that allows shoppers to shop the online boutiques physically.

The launch of Etsy’s curated City Guides in 2014 already encouraged shoppers to not only shop online, but also visit local stores that sell goods from Etsy’s best online retailers. Last month, a new initiative followed the successful physical city guides — the platform launched Etsy City Guides in collaboration with On The Grid to extend the physical shopping experience that allows buyers to explore local boutiques, starting with Austin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York coming soon.

Etsy City Guides

The new initiative comes as the company continues to develop its wholesale program, an extended platform of Etsy where retailers can connect to independent sellers. This encourages the combination of both online and offline retail communities. Retailers find undiscovered designers, while designers find their favorite retailer and reach a bigger audience. Now with the online City Guides, the platform fosters the interplay between the global and local.

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