Etsy ($ETSY) shares have been hot in 2019, gaining 45% - now, with earnings on the way, the company's alternative data reflects trends that should embolden investors. 

Our first chart - clearly - isn't terribly inspiring. It tracks jobs posted by Etsy, which are more or less flat in 2019. But what lies within the chart, is exciting. 

Etsy has turned its focus to the product to super-charge sales. It seems to be working: Etsy staffed up, to sharpen technology guiding users through the site by better facilitating search, checkout and shipping, according to Fortune. 

And it shows up in the alternative data. Roles where job postings for Etsy grew in 2019 - for Thinknum subscribers - include Data Engineering, Engineering Management, Product Design and Product Management. Social media data is just as compelling. 

At a time when brick-and-mortar retailers are facing tumbling social statistics and dwindling foot traffic, e-commerce - and Etsy - can be thankful to be experiencing better alternative data from consumers. Our Facebook ($FB) Talking About Count, for Etsy, tracks the company's mentions on the social network. 

Finally, we have a one-month chart that tracks a different form of user engagement - and, across the month of July, it looks as if Etsy has seen review ratings continue to climb. It's just one more signal that the e-commerce site has managed to make itself a mainstay with consumers, and one more thing to be positive about with earnings on the way. Analysts tracked by Zacks Investment Research are looking for EPS $0.14 when the company reveals results Thursday August 1. 

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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