Etsy Buys French Website ‘A Little Market’ In Largest Deal Yet

Etsy, a website specializing in handmade and vintage items for small vendors to sell online, is sprouting out with its sixth and largest acquisition yet. Etsy bought A Little Market, a Paris-based website that sells handmade goods, wine, and other items.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a person who knew the terms of the deal said that the transaction was a mix of cash-and-stock and was worth less than $100 million.

The deal was publicized last Monday and was another move for Brooklyn-based Etsy to reach outward internationally. Etsy is already widely known and used in the United Kingdom and Canada. In fact, Etsy just released a television ad in the U.K. earlier in the year and began posting subway ads in Toronto, according to Business Insider.

Etsy’s chief executive Chad Dickerson said that international expansion is a priority for the company in an interview.

“Etsy is and always will be a global marketplace,” Dickerson proclaimed. “One-third of our transactions cross the border, and it’s something sellers want access to.”

Etsy reportedly has 40 million users and 1 million sellers currently in action, according to Internet Retailer. Etsy’s marketplace finds success with consumers in over 200 countries, which makes up a quarter of Etsy’s total orders. A company spokesperson for Etsy states that 90 percent of Etsy’s business in France are from French consumers wanting goods outside of their own country.

Dickerson claims that Etsy has global gross merchandise sales of $1.35 billion annually, and The Wall Street Journal compares this number to eBay’s sale of $83 billion last year.

Chad Dickerson said in a release, “While Etsy’s business in France is primarily import/export—shoppers in other countries buying from local sellers—A Little Market has been focused on domestic growth among French sellers and buyers. The mission we believe in is aligned across both platforms.”

A Little Market’s co-founders, Nicolas Cohe, Nicolas d’Audiffret, and Loic Duvernay, will carry on with operating the business independently from Etsy in Paris. Nicolas d’Audiffret has stated that A Little Market has about 100,000 active sellers. Etsy will provide A Little Market with help in design and technology, and local sellers will be able to sell internationally through Etsy, according to The Wall Street Journal.

An Etsy spokesperson told TechCrunch, “As we grow, we’ll always consider our options to build, buy or partner, seeking partnerships or acquisitions that are highly mission-aligned as well as high performance. We have no specific plans for other acquisitions, but we’re always paying attention to the landscape and meeting with teams we respect and admire.”

Etsy’s chief executive sees no end in the company’s outreach just yet. “Etsy’s international strategy is to go deeper into local markets,” Dickerson said.