What's Happening?
Kevlyn Walsh, a Denver-based entrepreneur, has expanded her business from Etsy to Shopify, launching a second brand called Bake It Fancy. Initially starting with Festive Gal on Etsy in 2019, Walsh's business has grown
significantly, prompting her to create a separate identity for her successful baking accessories line. Festive Gal focuses on custom gifts and party supplies, while Bake It Fancy offers cooking accessories. Walsh has faced challenges with Etsy's platform limitations, particularly in customization and scaling, which led her to explore Shopify's more flexible options. Despite Etsy's constraints, it remains her primary sales channel, although she is diversifying to reduce reliance on it.
Why It's Important?
This development highlights the challenges and opportunities for small business owners in the e-commerce space. Walsh's move to Shopify underscores the need for platforms that offer greater flexibility and scalability for growing businesses. Her experience reflects broader trends in e-commerce where sellers seek to diversify their sales channels to mitigate risks associated with platform dependency. This shift could influence other Etsy sellers to consider similar strategies, potentially impacting Etsy's market share and prompting the platform to enhance its seller tools and support.
What's Next?
Walsh plans to grow Bake It Fancy independently, leveraging content creation and advertising to drive traffic. Her strategy includes using a dedicated media room for producing engaging baking content, which could enhance brand visibility and customer engagement. As she continues to expand, her approach may serve as a model for other entrepreneurs looking to balance platform reliance with independent growth.
