Want to know how to close Etsy shop? Well luckily Etsy makes it really easy to close your Etsy shop, you just follow these simple steps in your shop settings:
- On Etsy.com, go to Shop Manager.
- Go Settings and select Options.
- Select the Close Shop tab.
- Select Close Shop. Please answer our short survey before closing your shop.
I’ve sold on Etsy for the last three years making daily sales so I know that sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming.
Read on to find out why closing your shop may not be the right thing to do and to get some top tips on things to do BEFORE you close your Etsy store.
How to Close Etsy Shop?
How to Temporarily Close your Etsy Shop
Whilst you can close your Etsy shop and then go through the hassle of reopening it, Etsy provides a simple way of temporarily closing your Etsy shop, called Vacation Mode or Holiday Mode.
The idea behind this is like any bricks and mortar shop that would leave a sign in the window and close the shop whilst the owners went on holiday.
To turn on Vacation Mode simply follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Etsy seller account on Etsy.com.
- Click Shop Manager.
- Click Settings.
- Click Options.
- Click the Holiday Mode tab.
- Change the setting to On.
- Fill in a temporary shop announcement and an auto-reply for messages & Click Save.
When you want to take your shop off Vacation Mode simply follow these steps:
- Open shop manager.
- Click settings.
- Click options.
- Vacation mode tab.
- Turn it “off”
Vacation mode can be a great choice if you want to take a break whether short or long whilst still keeping your sales history and reviews. This means that when you come back to Etsy you aren’t starting from scratch.
People will still be able to see you are an established Etsy seller with a shop full of listings, and a history of good reviews and sales.
How to Close Etsy Shop Permanently
If you decide that you want to permanently close your Etsy shop follow these steps
- Sign in to your Etsy seller account on Etsy.com.
- Go Settings and select Options.
- Select the Close Shop tab.
- Select Close Shop.
- You will be asked to answer a short survey before closing your shop to provide Etsy with some useful information.
Things to Do Before You Close Your Etsy Shop
Download all your shop data
Your Etsy shop has lots of data that is available to download some of which you will need to download and store away before you close an Etsy shop.
Sale Listings – This includes all the details of your listings including listing title, description, price etc of your Currently for Sale listings. This information can be useful if you plan to start a store on another platform like Shopify or Launch Cart
Order, Order Items, Etsy Payment Sales and Etsy Payments Deposits – You will need these for your finances so its key to download these.
Reviews – Social proof is key for selling online so making sure you take your reviews with you to use in another store is critical.
Listing Photos – You are likely to have these on your computer (off Etsy) but it is worth making sure as once your shop is closed you
To download your shop data follow these steps
- Open shop manager.
- Click settings.
- Click options.
- Click Download Data
- Choose and download each data set that you want to keep.
Close Any Open Orders
If your shop has any open orders it is important to make sure these are closed so that you don’t leave any customers concerned about their orders if they see that your shop is closed.
Top Tip: Put your shop on Vacation mode whilst you close any open orders, then when they are closed, you can permanently close your shop.
Resolve Any Open Cases / Unresolved Cases
You cant close an Etsy shop if there are open or unresolved cases and therefore you need to make sure these are resolved before you close your store.
Change Your Email Address
If you plan to open a new account with the same email address, you can change the email address on file with your current account before closing it. This way, you can use the email address again on your new account.
Top Tip: If you think you may want to open an Etsy shop in the future using the same email address as the store that you are closing
Tell Your Customers
If you’re running an Etsy shop and have made sales, you may have built up a bit of a following and even an email list.
It’s important to tell all your customers that you are closing your shop to start selling on another platform, so they know they can no longer buy your items on Etsy.
It will also help direct people to your new selling platform if you have chosen to sell your print on demand products on your own website for example.
How to Delete An Etsy Seller Account?
To delete your Etsy account completely you can follow these steps:
- On Etsy.com, click You.
- Click Account settings.
- Scroll down to the Close Your Account section.
- Select a reason for leaving Etsy and add an optional comment.
- Click Close Account.
One thing to be mindful of is that deleting your account does not mean your username or shop name will be available should you wish to return to the marketplace.
Conclusion
You’ve gone through the learning curve to start an Etsy shop and mastering Etsy SEO, and whilst you now know how to close your shop, why would you close it? Yes, selling on Etsy can be stressful and the Etsy fees can add up.
But if you need to take a break then Vacation Mode is perfect for you. There isn’t a time limit to vacation mode and I recommend that you put your shop on vacation mode whilst you give yourself time to be certain that you want to close your store.
If you change your mind, you can simply reopen your shop by taking it off vacation mode.