Be Part of Canada's First Free Shipping Sales Event
Catch the eye of Canadian shoppers by offering free shipping across Canada May 1 – 14.
During the event, listings in Canadian shops that ship for free will get a search boost to make it even easier for local shoppers to find you.
Why take part?
Etsy Made in Canada celebrates crafters, collectors, and artisans across the country every year. But this year, we’re bringing the fun online with our first ever free shipping sales event.
More than half of Etsy shoppers told us free shipping is a top factor in their decision to make a purchase in an August 2017 survey. So we’re launching a two-week event to promote free shipping sales on May 1 to help shoppers across the country discover unique, locally-made products that ship for free.
During the event, we’ll highlight a selection of products that ship for free to Canadian buyers on the Etsy.com homepage, in curated Editor’s Picks pages, and emails to shoppers.
Bonus: Listings with free domestic shipping will also receive a boost in Etsy search, making it even easier for shoppers in Canada to find your items during the event.
Get support
Photo of Etsy Seller Sharon Dudka by Matt Lineker Photography
Get support
Never tried free shipping before?
Our seller experts have your back. Join our exclusive Facebook group to get support and encouragement from other sellers who’ve made free shipping work for their businesses.
“When I offered free shipping I definitely increased my sales from Canadian customers. It's been a great tool for us to increase revenue. ”
Arounna Khounnoraj
Arounna is the seller behind Bookhou and has been making original screen printed accessories on Etsy since 2009.
“I decided I would reward my customers with free shipping when they spent more money in my shop. It is the difference between a customer buying 2, or 3 items.”
Emma Knudsen
Emma is a designer with 10 years experience in the fashion industry. She runs Shopemmaknudsen from her home in The Okanagan.
“Offer free shipping when you introduce a new item. I've noticed that people love a little 'push' to purchase. You sell so much that you'll make up for lost costs of shipping.”
Amie Cunningham
Amie is the creative mind behind Thief&Bandit. She lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia with her husband and three young boys.
“Free shipping works better to engage clients than other promotions I’ve tried. I’ve found that it’s an easy (and inexpensive!) way of marketing my business.”
Stéphanie Fauteux
Stéphanie Fauteux is a ceramicist based in Saint-Lazare, Quebec. She runs the beautiful shop SFauteuxCeramiste.
“My Canadian customers tell me how much they appreciate the free shipping I offer and that it’s why they purchased from me.”
Sharon Dudka
Sharon makes unique metal jewelry and runs her business MetalRocks from beautiful Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Create your free shipping sale
Ready to get started?
It’s easy to participate in Etsy's first-ever Canadian free shipping sales event.
Step 1: Create your sale
Set up your new sale, choose free standard shipping. You can tick the box for domestic only if you want to limit your free shipping sale to Canadian shoppers.
Step 2: Mark your calendar
Schedule your sale for May 1–14, when we’ll be promoting items that ship for free to Canada! Be sure to set up your sale by April 20 to have your items that ship for free considered for features on Etsy.com and in marketing emails.
Step 3: Choose which listings to include
You can add all the items in your shop or limit your sale to lightweight items to cut down on costs.
Step 4: Shout it out
Once your sale goes live on May 1, share it with your followers on social media (and your neighbor, and your BFF). Promote your sale by sharing our custom image using Etsy’s social media tool between May 1—14 using the hashtag #sweepstakes and you’ll be entered into our giveaway for a chance to win a $250CAD Etsy Gift Card*.
Tips for a successful sale
Tips for a successful sale
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to free shipping. You can customize your sale to meet your unique business goals.
Set an order minimum
Encourage shoppers to spend more to qualify for free shipping. For instance, offer free shipping when they buy more than two items. If your sale has any other limitations, you should add those in the Terms and Conditions section.
Curate your inventory
Limit your free shipping sale to specific listings. Try a promotion on lighter items that don’t cost much to ship, or out-of-season inventory.
Grow your following in Canada
Offering free domestic shipping is an opportunity to get discovered by shoppers across the country. We’ll be giving listings from Canadian shops that ship for free a search boost to make it even easier for shoppers in Canada to find you.
Looking for more free shipping tips?
Check out our guide to running a free shipping promotion.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I participate?
This is a unique opportunity to help shoppers in Canada find something special from your shop. During the event, on Etsy.com, in email, and through the search boost for items that ship for free, we’ll be making it easier for shoppers to discover items like yours. An added bonus: In January and February of this year, when shipping was free, buyers spent 32% more on their order, on average.*
This free shipping sales event will only run for two weeks, so it’s a great chance to try this kind of promotion to see how it works for your business.
When should I schedule my sale?
Set up your sale by April 20 to have your items considered for features on Editor’s Picks pages and in marketing emails. Schedule your sale for May 1–14.
*Based on an internal analysis of non-digital orders from Jan and Feb 2018.
How does the search boost work? How long will it last?
When they search on Etsy during the event, shoppers in Canada will see more items from Canadian shops offering free shipping in their search results. This search boost will be active from May 1–14.
How can I get more advice on free shipping?
Join our Facebook Group! Our seller experts are ready to help answer your questions about running a free shipping sale.
I've created my sale. Now what?
When the sales event starts on May 1, start promoting your sale! Share our custom image using the hashtag #sweepstakes to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest using Etsy’s social media tool between May 1—14 for a chance to win a $250CAD Etsy Gift Card*.