Merchandising a Marketplace: The Magician Behind Etsy’s Curatorial Magic

With more than 120 million listings and millions of active sellers, Etsy operates one of the most unique marketplaces in retail. But surfacing the right products for the right buyers requires more than algorithms alone.In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Mary Andrews, Head of Global Merchandising at Etsy, about how the company balances human insight and instinct with AI-driven discovery to curate a shopping experience that feels both personalized and culturally relevant.Mary shares how her team identifies emerging trends, translates cultural moments into shopping occasions and uses AI to scale those insights across Etsy’s massive inventory. Key TakeawaysHow Etsy uses a combination of AI and human curation to translate cultural trends and buyer signals into an ever-changing slate of collections and experiences; Why AI will actually make human merchandisers even more valuable; Insight from Etsy’s early experiments using AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Gemini to expand product discovery; Lessons learned from working alongside Depop’s team of merchandisers, who have their finger on the pulse of Gen Z; How AI personalization is helping to amplify niche interests rather than homogenize the internet; and Why the future merchandiser will spend less time programming products and more time shaping taste and culture. Related LinksExplore Etsy and discover one-of-a-kind products from independent sellersRelated reading: Etsy, Shopify Among Early Partners for Microsoft’s Copilot CheckoutRelated reading: Etsy Debuts Ad Campaign in Bid to ‘Keep Commerce Human’Related reading: Ebay to Acquire Depop Resale Fashion Marketplace from Etsy Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix