[slily]

This article names a bunch of advantages of free shipping but we're supposed to reject it because an Etsy seller decided she didn't want to offer it and compensate by increasing the price of her product slightly for an algorithmic boost? I don't get the point. Either someone's fishing for an excuse to a decline in popularity or the justification for getting rid of "free" shipping is poorly laid out.

[londons_explore]

Some sellers don't want to increase their product price. Perhaps because they have pricing agreements (eg. Royalties of some percentage of the sale price).

Perhaps because for a higher price the customer expects a better product. (Nobody complains when the $1 scissors don't cut great, but the $15 scissors really ought to cut properly)