Deep Dive: Faire & Marketplaces

Some brands swear by Faire, some have sworn it off, and most of us are somewhere in the messy middle. We pulled together 11 of our most useful articles on Faire — the real costs, the algorithm, Faire Markets, and what happens after the sale — into one roundup for makers at any stage with the platform.

If your Faire sales feel flat, the problem probably isn't your products — it's your listings. Here's what the algorithm actually needs to surface you to the right buyers.

I sat down with Faire's Customer Marketing Lead to get the real scoop on Market prep, visibility, and conversion — here's what surprised me and what just confirmed what we already suspected.

Faire Markets happen twice a year and bring serious retailer traffic — but are they worth it for your brand? Here's what to know before the next one, including the risks most brands overlook.

Most Faire sellers know about the 15% commission — but once you stack on the new customer fee, processing costs, shipping, promotions, and ad spend, the real cost of making a sale on Faire looks very different, and you can't make smart decisions until you know that number.

If you have even a modest history of wholesale orders, you have more than you realize. Here's a simple analysis that can change how you grow.

If your Faire orders have dried up or dropped dramatically, it's almost certainly not about your products — here's exactly why it happens and what you can actually do about it. We dive into the early visibility boost Faire gives you, the “rules” and shifting goal posts on the marketplace, and the somewhat vexing algorithm. And of course, how to get back on track if needed.

The "set it and forget it" era on Faire is officially over — here's what changed, when it changed, and what it actually takes to succeed on the platform today.

One of our wonderful community members, Ann, wrote to us the other day with a question that may sound basic to some. But it’s a question that so many folks struggle with… and feel like they’re missing something. So today, I'm answering a tough question that almost everyone using wholesale marketplaces struggles with at one point or another!

The more Faire becomes a market leader, it’s easy to feel like Faire is the “only” wholesale platform that brands need to know about. But there are some great platforms that serve a more specific niche. And that focus can be an incredible opportunity. Sometimes these platforms have better terms and buyers who are a better fit — so are worth considering as a part of your overall wholesale strategy.

Recently, we were lucky enough to sit down with the folks from Powered By People and got to dig into all the specifics of how PBP works, how they find the balance between profit, people, and planet — and how to think about whether PBP is right for you.

When Faire Wholesale first debuted, many makers were pretty amazed by all that it offered. It felt like a game changer to have so many buyers in one place… and to be able to manage your wholesale ordering on their platform. And it’s true – for many independent brands, Faire has proven to be an incredible asset.

As time has gone on, though, not everyone has decided they love Faire. Some makers find the commissions to be punishingly high. Other brands find that it’s hard to build sustainable relationships with store owners through the platform. And still others simply don’t get orders there.

Faire has become a part of the maker community. In fact, most of the makers we work with also use Faire or similar. That said, there are some things to be cautious about if you are considering using Faire as a key avenue for your wholesale growth.

Here at Wholesale In a Box, we know that your time is valuable and that keeping on-top of all the latest wholesale marketplace news can be time consuming. You’re so busy managing the ins and outs of your business that sometimes relevant information can slip right by you. So today, we’ve filtered all the recent updates and bring you three wholesale marketplace surprises that may directly impact your day to day operations.

As many of you know, the online wholesale marketplace landscape is ever changing. It seems like a new marketplace opens every 6 months.

When marketplaces change focus or shut down, we know brands and makers can be left frustrated, scrambling, and wary of joining yet another marketplace. Which is why we put together some tips on how to move forward and continue your wholesale journey, even when a marketplace closes.

In June 2023, after 6 years of operations, Tundra, one of the largest online wholesale marketplaces at the time, shuttered its online marketplace. Tundra’s email announcement made some big waves by announcing their intention to file a lawsuit against Faire, while simultaneously promoting their new online wholesale business, Wholesale Co-Op. In the whirlwind that followed, Wholesale Co-Op went belly-up at the end of January 2024. This article reviews the details on both Tundra and Wholesale Co-Op.

With Faire now the dominant wholesale marketplace — and many others like Tundra, Abound, and Bulletin now closed — choosing the right platform matters more than ever. Here's what makers need to know.

As of October, 2023, JuniperMarket closed its virtual doors permanently. Its parent company ANDMORE (International Market Centers) is turning its focus into their physical markets and digital tools designed to support those physical marketplaces.

That said, read on if you are curious what JuniperMarket originally was…

It’s so exciting to get an order from a new stockist. But the thing that is most satisfying and ultimately transformative to your business is to have long-term relationships with stockists that order from you repeatedly over the span of years. Here’s what we recommend in terms of communication with your stockists, including those who buy from you on Faire.

When considering wholesale marketplaces there is no shortage of options these days. Many of the marketplaces are similar but small differences can mean large impacts on makers and independent brands. In this article we review a newer wholesale marketplace, Creoate, and give you the information you need to decide if it’s a good fit for your wholesale strategy.

For years, Abound was a major player in the wholesale marketplace world – and a major competitor to Faire. So for many small brands, Abound was a marketplace they had considered selling with.

In 2023 and 2024, though, Abound made an abrupt business model transition and then (effectively) closed altogether. In this article we wrangled all the details of that evolution – and we’ll give you the details you need for Abound, Droply, and their Droply’s parent company, Carro.

Reviews and tips about Bulletin wholesale marketplace from makers and small product companies, pros and cons of using Bulletin, and an interview with the co-founder getting her thoughts and how to decide if it is for you.

Handshake by Shopify was a promising wholesale marketplace for independent brands — until it closed in 2022. Here's what makers thought of it and where to go now.

Thinking about selling on Faire Wholesale? We've worked with 2,000+ makers and advise Faire directly — here's an honest look at what actually works, what to be cautious about, and how to decide if it's right for you.

As one maker friend put it: People were saying for months that a shift was going to happen with Etsy Wholesale. And, well… Shift happened.  As you’re probably well aware by now, Etsy Wholesale is closed its doors: July 31, 2018 was the last day of the platform. While few people are surprised -- since Etsy Wholesale had been quietly withdrawing for months -- many makers are understandably frustrated, freaked out, or just… tired.