Etsy’s new mandatory ad policy cuts into sellers’ profits

Etsy this week revealed a new promoted advertising policy that essentially allows them to take a generous cut of sales, and sellers with successful stores won’t be able to opt out. The new measure will add yet another mandatory fee for sellers — if the advertising works, of course. According to Etsy’s announcement, it’s instituting a new Offsite Ads program, in which it’ll promote items on sites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Whenever a buyer clic