Etsy is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms, and running an Etsy business is a worthwhile venture.
However, Etsy selling may not be for everyone due to the high level of competition. Making your store stand out can be challenging, especially if it’s a small business. Failure to stand out can lead to low conversion rates and sales.
Some Etsy sellers also find that while fees are low, they add up to a rather hefty total. Meanwhile, other shop owners deal with time-management issues because they manage several stores on different platforms.
These are just some problems that can make you decide to leave Etsy.
Whatever your reason for leaving Etsy, it pays to know how to close an Etsy shop.
If you don’t know how to close your Etsy shop, you’ve come to the right place.
My comprehensive guide will show you how to deactivate your Etsy shop and cancel your Etsy seller account. I’ll also discuss factors you must consider before starting the closure process.
Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Factors To Consider Before Closing an Etsy Shop
Before you close your shop, you should be aware of what will happen once you’ve shut down your store.
Your Listings Won’t Be Visible to Shoppers.
Once you close your Etsy shop, your listings and store will no longer be visible to shoppers. Disappearing listings can become a problem if you still have pending orders.
Even if you communicate with customers regarding any open orders, they still won’t be able to see the listing.
There May Be Possible Payment Issues.
Shutting down your Etsy shop with a payment account balance or overdue fees is another issue to consider. If you close shop while owing fees to Etsy, you might encounter problems receiving your payment.
You can contact Etsy support to resolve this matter and close your Etsy shop successfully.
Reviews Will Remain Public.
You can’t remove customers’ reviews on your shop and sold items even if you permanently close your Etsy shop. It may not be feasible to close your shop (or shops) if you have bad reviews.
What To Do Before Closing Your Etsy Shop
Once you close the shop and delete your Etsy seller account, the platform will remove all your existing data.
This data purge is irreversible, meaning you won’t be able to retrieve your information afterward. Therefore, it’s essential to download all your data, such as listings, sales data, settings, descriptions, images, and reviews.
It’s also an excellent idea to do an inventory check.
Backing up your data and doing an inventory check allows you to quickly set up shop on other platforms in the future. You can just migrate your saved data to your preferred ecommerce platform.
How to Close an Etsy Shop
There are two ways to close your Etsy shop—you can put it on hold temporarily or shut it down permanently.
Temporary Closure
You can temporarily close your Etsy store if you just want to pause and take a break for a specific period. You can then reopen your shop if and when you want.
Here are the three ways you can temporarily close your Etsy shop:
Deactivate Your Listings.
Deactivating your current listings cancels them, but you can reactivate them once you’re ready to resume selling. You can simply change your shop header and profile picture to show customers your shop is temporarily closed and will reopen on a specific date.
Turn On Vacation Mode.
Ety’s Vacation Mode feature is helpful for both temporary and permanent closures. If you simply want to go on leave, follow the steps below to turn on Vacation Mode.
Following the above steps will put your store into Vacation Mode. It also lets you make a temporary Shop Announcement and an auto-responder message for incoming emails. You can also reactivate your store through the same page.
This method is also helpful if you want to close your shop with orders pending fulfillment.
When you turn on Vacation Mode, your store is still visible to customers—they just can’t place new orders. You can complete existing orders but not accept new ones.
After fulfilling your orders, you can permanently close your shop and delete your Etsy account.
Leave Your Shop Open and Set Your Shipping Time to a Future Date.
With this option, you can still respond to Etsy conversations and adjust your delivery times to match your return date. This option also lets you continue receiving orders while you’re away.
Permanent Closure
Choosing this option will permanently delete your Etsy account.
Customers won’t see your shop anymore if you close your shop with open orders. However, you can still access all your orders and communicate with buyers.
After permanently closing your store, Etsy will still deposit funds left in your payment account according to your deposit schedule. It’s essential to ensure your bank details on file are up-to-date to avoid issues with receiving payments.
Closing Etsy Shop: A Step-By-Step Guide
Here’s how to fix your shop settings and close your Etsy shop on a desktop or laptop computer:
1 – Go to Etsy and log in to your account.
2 – Click the Shop Manager symbol at the top right of the screen.
3 – Open Settings, then go to Options.
4 – Choose the Close Shop tab, then click Close Shop.
There are other shop settings you can tweak.
You can remove a draft shop, referring to a shop you’ve made but haven’t launched yet. To do so, go to the Etsy Help page and select Contact Support for assistance.
Etsy also requires sellers to settle any outstanding fees before fully closing their stores. Furthermore, the platform advises Etsy sellers to keep their shops open until they’ve fulfilled all open orders.
How to Delete Your Etsy Account
Follow these steps to permanently delete your Etsy account.
1 – Log in to your account on Etsy.
2 – Click the Account symbol in the upper right corner of the screen.
3 – Select Account settings.
4 – In the Account tab, go to the Close Your Account section.
5 – Click Close Account.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Close My Etsy Account and Open a New One?
Yes. However, remember that Etsy removes all your listings when you close your account. Thus, you’ll have to create new listings for each item if you open a new account.
Can I Change My Shop Name on Etsy?
Yes. Etsy allows you to change your Etsy shop name up to five times. Here’s how to change your Etsy shop name.
- Go to Etsy Shop Manager.
- Click Settings, then choose Info & Appearance.
- Click Change (next to Shop Name).
- Select Save.
Can I Have 2 Etsy Shops?
Yes.
However, you cannot use the same email address for both shops. You’ll have to register the second Etsy shop using a different email. Etsy only allows one shop and one account per email address.
How Do I Close an Etsy Shop On My Smartphone?
Here’s how to close your Etsy shop on your phone via the Etsy app.
- Open the app and click on the Your Account icon.
- Select Shop Manager.
- Click Settings and choose Options.
- Go to the Close Shop tab.
- Click Close Shop.
Does Closing My Etsy Shop Hurt My Listings?
If you’ve placed your shop on holiday mode or Vacation Mode, prepare for your listings to drop in rankings. It takes Etsy a while to collect data on your shop, sometimes taking around two to six weeks.
Why Did I Get an Error Message When Closing My Etsy Account?
You’ll get an error message if you change your email address less than seven days before closing your account. It’s a security measure Etsy implemented to protect your account.
The Bottom Line
As an Etsy seller, dealing with low sales or stiff competition can be frustrating. Sometimes, strategies like changing your store name or opening a second Etsy shop can help revive your business.
If all else fails and it’s time to permanently close your Etsy shop and delete your Etsy seller account, the steps discussed in this article will simplify the process.
