Merchandising a Marketplace: The Magician Behind Etsy’s Curatorial Magic
Retail Remix · with Mary Andrews · March 30, 2026 · 23 min
Summary
Etsy’s Head of Global Merchandising, Mary Andrews, reveals how the marketplace masterfully blends AI with human curation to surface relevant products from its 120M+ listings. Learn how Etsy identifies emerging trends, translates cultural moments into shopping opportunities, and leverages AI to scale these insights, creating a personalized yet culturally resonant shopping experience for millions. This episode is a must-listen for ecommerce operators looking to optimize product discovery and merchandising in a competitive online landscape.
Key takeaways
Implement a 'human-in-the-loop' AI strategy for merchandising: Combine algorithmic power with human expertise to curate your marketplace effectively, leveraging AI for scale and humans for cultural nuance and trend identification.
Translate cultural moments into commercial opportunities: Actively identify emerging trends and cultural shifts, then strategically convert these insights into curated product collections and personalized shopping experiences.
Embrace AI answer engines for enhanced product discovery: Explore integrating tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to broaden and deepen how customers can discover products within your platform.
Redefine the merchandiser’s role: Shift merchandising focus from basic product programming to higher-level strategic work, emphasizing taste-making, cultural influence, and community understanding (e.g., Gen Z trends from Depop experience).
Utilize AI personalization to amplify niche interests: Rather than homogenizing recommendations, leverage AI to highlight and cater to diverse and specific customer preferences, fostering a more varied online shopping experience.
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: <a href="https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topi
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Implement a 'human-in-the-loop' AI strategy for merchandising: Combine algorithmic power with human expertise to curate your marketplace effectively, leveraging AI for scale and humans for cultural nuance and trend identification.
What does this episode say about ai & automation?
Translate cultural moments into commercial opportunities: Actively identify emerging trends and cultural shifts, then strategically convert these insights into curated product collections and personalized shopping experiences.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Embrace AI answer engines for enhanced product discovery: Explore integrating tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to broaden and deepen how customers can discover products within your platform.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Redefine the merchandiser’s role: Shift merchandising focus from basic product programming to higher-level strategic work, emphasizing taste-making, cultural influence, and community understanding (e.g., Gen Z trends from Depop experience).
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Utilize AI personalization to amplify niche interests: Rather than homogenizing recommendations, leverage AI to highlight and cater to diverse and specific customer preferences, fostering a more varied online shopping experience.
