Etsy launches same-day delivery service for last-minute holiday shoppers

Its the Thursday before your friend’s housewarming in Brooklyn and you totally forgot to get her a pair of crocheted potholders. Don’t panic! There could be a solution: Etsy ASAP.

A new pilot program from the online handmade goods marketplace is being tested in the New York City area just in time for the holidays offering same-day delivery from select sellers. This convenience will come at a price, though: In order to take advantage of Etsy ASAP, you have to be willing to shell out an extra $20. Hey, alls fair in love and needlepoint.

Etsy

Senior Product Manager Calia Talmor announced Etsys new offering on the sites blog on Tuesday. “In partnership with on-demand logistics company, Postmates, were making it possible for buyers to discover, buy, and receive unique items direct from a local seller, all within the same or next day for a flat fee of $20,” she wrote.

There are approximately 5,000 products available on ASAP, which Techcrunch points out is a small fraction of Etsys 32 million products. But for the last-minute shopper with a love of handmade goods, it could be a welcome alternative to buying at a chain store (or any brick-and-mortar store, really).

Once an Etsy shopper selects the ASAP option, she can choose a three-hour window to have the items delivered, according to the announcement. As with other Postmates services, such as food deliveries, shoppers are able to digitally track the progress of their order .

Etsy ASAP part of the company’s push to encourage users to “buy local.” It works in tandem with their other pilot program, Etsy Local, which helps connect customers with sellers in their area (particularly important when there’s a chance your “handmade” item may actually be made in China.)

After announcing its IPO earlier this year, Etsy continues to dominate the handmade good market as a place where artists and craftspeople can make a lucrative living(even witches have found a home there). And as Etsy ASAP shows, people will do pretty much anything to get their hands on some good, old fashioned crafts.

H/T Techcrunch | Photo via Mike/Flickr