Make the Switch Simpler: Import Product Data

Sometimes folks already have an online shop somewhere, but they're looking for a change. It can be a pain to switch everything over to a new service, so we figured it was time to make it easier. You can now import your product listings from another platform right into your Big Cartel shop. The thought of transferring all of your product listings shouldn't hold you back from doing what's best for your business. If you've been using Etsy, Shopify, or Squarespace but considering a change, it's time to feel less entrenched in a platform that isn't working for you!

If you started your business with a fully-loaded, diesel engine shop, it may be more muscle (and a lot more money) than you need. An admin with lots of bells and whistles may be just a big ole pain to navigate. Make the switch to Big Cartel: we're known for being the right mix of easy-to-use features at an unbeatable price.

Perhaps you love that strangers can stumble upon you in a marketplace, but you want a more permanent web address. Keep both! Import your products to Big Cartel and establish your own URL. At Big Cartel, you make the rules about shipping and marketing costs, and you never pay listing or transaction fees.

How it works

We've added a handy "Import products" option both during the initial setup for new shops, and on the Products section of the admin for all shops. Look for the option to download product data on your current e-commerce platform, and bring the file over to Big Cartel. (We've already cleared out half of the dresser drawers for you.)

After you've started the import, feel free to go about your business: get a snack, start tinkering with the look of your shop in the Customization area, get another snack... We'll send you an email once it's completed with a recap of how it all went: how many products were imported, and a list of any issues we ran into.

What to remember

When choosing a Big Cartel plan and getting ready to import your products, make sure there's enough space! If you have 60 products online and signed up for the Platinum plan, you'll exceed the 50 product limit. Consider a bigger plan before starting the import to make sure it goes smoothly: no one likes getting to the dressing room with pants that don't fit! You can check your plan and product limit by looking under "Billing" on the Account page of your admin.

This import process is designed to work perfectly with the CSV you download from your Etsy, Shopify, or Squarespace store. Imports from other platforms will likely work just fine, but give our help article a read to make sure.

Get started

If you're still in the consideration phase, get yourself all signed up! The Product Data Import feature is available for all Big Cartel plans, including our free Gold stores, so pick one that works for you, and tap that "Add your products" box once you've signed up.

Oh, and if you already have a Big Cartel shop and just want to top off the tank with products from another platform, that's possible too! Find the "Import products" button lurking in the three dots on your admin's Products page. We're glad we could make the moving process a little easier for you. You're gonna love your new online home.