Last Mile Brief 16/03/2023: Shopify, Etsy and other e-commerce players impacted by SVB collapse

The bank’s closure is causing financial difficulties for many of its clients, including e-commerce companies that rely on its loans and other financial services. The bank’s expertise in the industry made it a go-to for start-ups and established businesses alike, leaving many scrambling to find alternative sources of funding.

Etsy says that approximately 0.5% of its sellers, or 2,500 vendors experienced SVB-collapse-related payment delays on Friday.

“We are working to pay these sellers today, and we’ve already started processing payments via another payment partner this morning”, an Etsy spokesperson told Reuters on Monday.

This is particularly problematic for e-commerce companies that rely on external funding to expand and grow their businesses. With many investors now adopting a wait-and-see approach, it may be difficult for e-commerce companies to secure the capital they need to stay afloat.

Despite these challenges, some e-commerce companies are turning to alternative sources of funding, such as crowdfunding or revenue-based financing, while others are focusing on cutting costs and improving their profitability.

That said, the overall outlook for the e-commerce sector remains uncertain, and it may take some time before the industry fully recovers from the impact of SVB’s collapse.