Etsy kicks off on-demand delivery service in NYC

Etsy is entering the on-demand economy with the launch of a new fast delivery pilot called Etsy ASAP.

The service starts today in New York and will allow select sellers to offer same day or next day delivery for $20 through Postmates.

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Delivery times are available in three-hour windows, starting at 6 a.m.-9 a.m. through to 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Sellers can tailor which days and delivery windows they want to offer around their own production schedule. Buyers can place an order for delivery as little as two hours ahead of time, though early morning deliveries have to be placed by 7 p.m. the day before.

Through Etsy’s mobile app, buyers can track their delivery much the same way you can track an Uber vehicle on its way to pick you up.

The new on-demand offering allows Etsy sellers to stay competitive in an environment where goods and services are being made available to consumers almost instantly. It will also help Etsy stay relevant as Amazon (with its super fast shipping) launches a marketplace for handmade goods.

Etsy senior project manager for shipping and order management Calia Talmor won’t comment on Amazon Handmade, but says Etsy ASAP has been in the works long before Amazon announced its competitor marketplace.

“We’ve learned that more than half of Etsy buyers said they would use a service like this for last minute gifts,” said Talmor. No doubt, the new service will be a boon to sellers during the holiday season.

For now, the pilot is only available in Manhattan and select parts of Brooklyn and Queens.