Etsy Launches AI-Powered Interactive Gift Finder

by: LDWCallsOut

I tried out Gift Mode when it briefly appeared on the Etsy home page.  IMO, it's more of the same for Etsy.

As a former Etsy owner of several shops that sold Vintage items and antiques, I noted there is no option in Gift Mode to seek out these items, The word ''vintage'' appears nowhere.  A first-time visitor to Etsy using Gift Mode would not realize that any Vintage items are listed on the site.

Gift Mode seems to be designed for use by people trying to find a gift for someone emotionally distant from the shopper who is known only by various marketing demographic categories.  More of the same concept shown in the Winter Holiday 2023 ad campaign where even parents and children didn't know each other well enough to feel that gift shopping could be fun rather than a ''mission impossible''.  

This new Etsy feature is a solution in search of a problem, unless one is shopping for a gift for a stranger.

by: LDWCallsOut

UPDATE:  I tried the officially released version just now, and got the word ''vintage'' to show up as a title for various selections.  But...all the ''vintage'' items are in fact new and listed as ''handmade''.  Seriously, are pop culture graphics like for the film VIDEODROME and the Powerpuff Girls in the public domain to be printed on products to order by Etsy shop owners?  

I did see one item actually listed as ''vintage'', but it was an assortment of goodies box where no contents were shown in the photos.  So I can't know what items are actually for sale, and if they are, in fact, old.

I found the AI running this mess to be quite stoopid.  I wanted to see items for the ''disco enthusiast'' and the silly robot showed me a selection of disco ball styled planters.  WTH?  Nothing for a former dancing queen but with a brown thumb?  I never knew anyone in the 70s infected with both Friday and Saturday night fevers to dream of taking a club's disco ball home to try and plant a philodendron in it.  

by: Stone Cutter

*** It’s a desperate attempt ***

As an artisan jeweler on Etsy, I will say that buyers for artisan jewelry is a very strong category because each piece produced by artisan jewelers is truly one-of-kind. I am not a gift item as women purchase for themselves, yet, my sales are constant, all year around.

If Etsy would have promoted a site for “real art” instead of mass production, sales would have been constant for Etsy. Instead, Etsy now has to promote this ridiculous “Gift Mode” function in order to promote all those typical products that can be found anywhere.

Etsys marketing has ultimately failed Etsy.  

by: Lisa

worked fine for me.

I just don't think etsy buyers will use it much. If you are that inept at gift giving, you certainly will be clueless when trying to follow the prompts. Buy an etsy gift card. Everyone is happy.

by: billly

Silverman explained the new "gifty" branding 2 years ago. At the time it seemed like an obvious attempt to detract from the original "handmade" branding. Sure enough, the big reveal is another big dud. So dishonest.

by: Queen of the Jungle

More Etsy conceit that they know better than the buyers what they actually want to buy.     Of course, ordinary mortals / proles have no idea how to shop for gifts for their friends and relatives so they need Big Brother Etsy to show them.

The whole premise is insulting beyond belief except knowing this cast of Woke characters I guess I should believe anything they come up with.  

Furthermore, both of these promotions- the Superbowl ad and the gifting scam will not help the true Etsy sellers one bit.   In fact, they will hurt us immeasurably as they end up promoting the likes of Temu, Ali Express and other mass produced crap sites that are allowed to pretend they sell handmade and vintage stuff.

All those millions should have been spent on the obvious- to fix Search so buyers can actually find what they want and to clean up the site to remove the resellers, counterfeits and other frauds.

Another thing- who are the geniuses that came up with the concept that sports fanatics are a big marketplace for Etsy's handmade, vintage and supply products?   Is that really the best place to advertise these days??  Seems like a real bone-headed idea to me.  

Sad, just sad.

by: LDWCallsOut

I didn't find anything about the Gift Finder that promoted ''wokeness'' in any form.  It looks like straight up merchandising to me, like Etsy has been doing for more than a decade with its list of trendy products. Anyone recall the ''merchandising report'' for sellers so that they could change up what they create to follow Etsy's list of trends?

by: Tinysaur

The client acquisition costs of Super Bowl customers will be retraining Big Box and Amazon shoppers to understand the limitations of a one-person shop. We'll be responsible for setting expectations (no free shipping, free wrapping, free hand-written personal notes, free returns) More of the Punch-the-Clown stuff, where we are the childrens party clowns.

I don't think anyone in corporate buys from Etsy. It would be a different company if they actually understood the shopping and selling experience on their own site.

by: gjone

Etsy seems to have a rough time giving sellers what they need.  I doubt this will work well.  I believe more women shop Etsy than men, and it's usually men that need more help with suggestions.  Hope it works for Etsy but I doubt it will help sellers that much.

by: Rexford

..........or, Etsy could simply have search that works.

How lazy are people and why do they need machines to think for them?

Have people just given up?  If you doubt it take a look at those nasty Lume and Skunky commercials. And as for Lume, there is something very odd about a so called doctor who uses terms like "butt crack" and pits.

by: AddyUp

I think this AI "gift finder" will be perfectly suitable. The next time I want to buy a present for my computer.

by: Stone Cutter

*** The retail market is difficult ***

Just heard commentary this morning on CNBC on how difficult the U.S. retail market currently is, for the start of 2024.

And data from the holidays say that consumers spent well, however, the best growth was in restaurant sales. Post Covid, consumers continue to prefer “experiences” over goods.

Also, the “buy-now-pay-later “ purchase schemas have now put consumers into massive debt, as consumers have over spent and are beginning to default on their short term loans.

Etsy has a boatload of challenges to work through and I am not optimistic they can handle it. This new gift feature seems like a weak attempt.  

by: LDWCallsOut

The Gift Finder works using the same concepts as Etsy Search.  It's about merching trends that Etsy wants to promote.  

I played with it some more this morning, and the thumbnails that are shown under various headings are showing more and more drift away from relevancy to promoting one or two shops that listed a single item that fit the descriptive title over the images.  Most of the items shown have nothing to do with what the title says they are.  Hilarious.

by: COVID-19

Yes, yes. Let's market Etsy to the demographic least likely to search for or appreciate hand-made gifts. Genius!

by: Snapped

“ Gift Mode seems to be designed for use by people trying to find a gift for someone emotionally distant from the shopper who is known only by various marketing demographic categories.”

That’s the takeaway here.  And the now wholly commercialized gladiator games is going to attract some of that demographic, no doubt.

But this won’t save Etsy.  Or the sellers financing this ‘big’ news with Etsy’s success penalty ad-sharing fee take, who by initial analysis, won’t be benefiting.  It’s not even an original idea, notwithstanding the gangly and immature tech dujour syringe being used to inject it into the buying ‘experience’.  

You don’t grow by watering one branch, especially if it’s just transplanted.  You grow from your root, where nourishment originates.  

Something else worth wondering if it occurred to Etsy’s brainstorm bunch as they flagged this particular pole.  A sizable chunk of this do everything for me demographic will not be seeing these ads.  They’ll be at the game.  They’re the only one’s who could afford to score tickets.

by: Snapped

Ick.  I just saw one of these gift mode commercials.  Like a 15 sec caught it out of corner of eye…but, Something about a “people cake”?  

by: Whatever

I sold on etsy years ago - thought I might go back and take another stab at it. doing the same thing I now do on ebay. limited sales to only vintage items no one has - price them high and let them sit there. I'll use them for advertising

by: LDWCallsOut

There's a link to the ''people in the cake'' ad in an entry under Ecommerce Articles about Etsy.  It's NOT funny.  FAIL