Creoate Wholesale Marketplace: Brand Tips + How It Compares to Faire
Updated March 2026
When considering wholesale marketplaces, most folks’ minds turn to Faire. But especially in the UK and Europe, Creoate takes a big piece of the pie. And although Creoate is similar to Faire in many ways, small differences can mean large impacts on makers and independent brands. In this article we review Creoate and give you the information you need to decide if it’s a good fit for your wholesale strategy.
In this article, we’ll help you:
Understand what Creoate is and how it works.
Gain clarity on Creoate commissions, fees, rules, and protocols.
Weigh pros and cons and decide if Creoate is a good fit for you.
Compare Faire vs. Creoate for US and UK / European Sellers
Get tips on using Creoate in combination with direct outreach to stores.
What is Creoate?
Creoate is an online wholesale marketplace based in London, England that connects product companies with stores. It was founded in 2020, by Ashley Horn and Fahad Khan after their experience running a multi-brand store in London and looking for a way to sort the best products among all the options available online. Creoate grew quickly, backed by venture capital, and by 2021, more than 25,000 retailers had signed up, a number predicted to grow by 7,000 retailers per month.
In terms of structure, Creoate works like many wholesale marketplaces, with some key differences. First, unlike with Faire, there is no application required for brand sign up. The account is verified via email and makers set an address that they will ship from. Makers indicate their values and load their products onto the platform, then retailers are able to search products by category (you can only choose one per product), minimums, lead time or values. Values include eco friendly products, minority owned businesses, locally manufactured, vegan, handmade, etc. There is no storefront for brands. If a stockist likes an item, they cannot click anywhere to see the entire collection on offer by a maker. If a retailer clicks on an item, there may be a popup at the bottom of that page to be able to view 4 - 6 additional items by the maker.
Creoate is by far not the only wholesale marketplace option out there. Faire is the largest and has a strong international presence across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
How does Creoate work for brands?
Commission and fees. It doesn’t cost anything for the maker to join or post their products, but Creoate takes a percentage from orders placed on the site. First time store orders have a 20% commission, while all reorders have a 15% commission. They offer 0% on orders from your existing stockists.
Existing Retailers. One way a maker can avoid paying commission on orders is to email an invitation to existing stockists via their Creoate account. It’s an incentive to get more stores ordering through the platform. They allow you to offer retailers free shipping, payment by invoice and special promotions like 10% off for new buyers to entice your existing stockists not on Creoate. Any orders from these accounts will be at a 0% commission forever. Meaning makers are not charged the standard 15% commission on re-orders.
Account setup. Once you’ve created and verified your account, you’ll upload your items onto the website. Creoate gives the option of a bulk upload service but you have to submit a request and it can take up to two working weeks to process.
Payout. Makers are paid 30 days following the delivery of the order. That means if the item is shipped overseas or across borders, that can delay your payout. Brands do have the ability to set country restrictions. Creoate handles all payments to you and from the stockists. You do not have to produce an invoice.
Communication with stockists. Makers are required to message stores through Creoate’s messaging feature and don’t have access to store information directly. Makers must reply to messages within 24 hours or risk a drop in their store ranking.
Brand ranking. As a brand, your ranking algorithm is boosted when you pay for marketing/advertisements. Store reviews affect ranking and rankings drop if the brand is late shipping an item or responding to messages.
Reviews. Makers cannot reply to reviews. They may only send a message to retailers who have purchased from them previously.
Discounts. You may set a store discount if desired and choose the minimum amount at which that discount is applied. Discounting a single or selection of products is not an option.
Shipping. Creoate handles shipping costs, meaning wholesalers do not have to factor shipping into their wholesale costs. They book their shipping and collection via their platform and when an order is received, Creoate sends a shipping label to print. Sellers receive guidelines on shipping sizes and weights. Note: If you do not conform to the specifications, you will be charged the difference, not Creoate and not the stockist. Unlike Faire, sellers are not able to be reimbursed for shipping supplies and handling (up to $15) so that cost will need to be factored into the price for Creoate users.
Taxes, duties and fees. Creoate does not calculate or collect taxes, duties, surcharges, royalty fees, etc. So you must know, properly calculate, and incorporate these items into your costs.
Pros and Cons of Creoate for Independent Brands
Pros of using Creoate:
Easy to use and easy to set up — no application required (unlike Faire).
Makers can gain stockists that they may have not reached out to on their own, potentially expanding into new countries. Creoate has a strong UK and European buyer base, which is a real advantage for brands wanting to reach those markets.
You set your wholesale minimums and lead time.
You don't have to pay shipping on qualifying orders, and Creoate collects and ships for you.
Communication with retailers has improved — you can message buyers who've ordered from you and use Creoate's email marketing tool for updates and new releases.
Trade Direct lets you offer NET terms to any wholesale buyer with Creoate handling collections, which is a useful tool.
You can discount individual products as well as offer storewide discounts.
Cons of using Creoate:
Commission rates are charged on every wholesale order, for every store, for the lifetime of that store relationship (though referred retailers are always 0%).
Creoate's ranking algorithm often shows shops with lower minimums. Your rankings can drop if you get a poor review, don't fill an order in time or if you don't respond to a message within 24 hours. And you cannot reply to customer reviews directly.
Your store accounts don't "go with you" if you change wholesale marketplaces or Creoate changes or closes.
While communication tools have improved, the relationship you build with stockists through the platform is still more limited than what you'd have with a direct wholesale relationship.
Creoate's website has been reported by some users as buggy and difficult for retailers to use, though they appear to be actively improving the platform.
Creoate is funded by venture capital that has a lot of pressure to grow very quickly. In some cases, this can mean that the platform's priorities shift in ways that don't always align with makers' needs.
Makers need to stay on top of messages to avoid the 24 hour response window affecting their ranking.
The free 60-day return policy for first-time buyers is great for attracting stores but means you may see returns on initial orders.
Faire vs. Creoate for Independent Brands
Despite their similarities, there are some key differences between Faire and Creoate that are crucial for brands to know.
Commission. Faire charges 15% commission on marketplace orders plus a $10 new customer fee on the first order from a new retailer. Creoate charges 20% for first-time orders from a new retailer and 15% for reorders. Both offer 0% commission options for your existing stockists (Faire Direct for Faire; referred retailers for Creoate).
Account Setup. Faire requires an application (with many brands not accepted) while Creoate only requires account verification. However, Creoate does require a minimum of five products and approximately 40% margins.
Getting Paid. Faire pays 30 days after an order is placed, with options for faster payouts at higher processing fees (next-day payout at 3.5% + $0.30, 30-day at 2.4% + $0.30, or 60-day at 1.9% + $0.30). Creoate pays within 30 days of the seller marking the order as fulfilled. There is no early payout option on Creoate.
Handling International Orders. Faire makes it easy to sell internationally by calculating estimated taxes, duties and fees. Creoate now ships DDP (delivery duties paid) on orders they arrange, which is a significant improvement — international retailers shouldn't face surprise customs charges. However, sellers should still be aware of their own tax obligations.
Returns. Creoate offers retailers free 60-day returns on first orders from a new brand. Faire offers free returns within 60 days on first orders as well, though terms vary.
Communication. Both platforms allow messaging between buyers and sellers. Creoate now also offers an email marketing tool for reaching followers and past customers. On Faire, makers generally need to message stores through the platform and don't have direct access to store contact information (although that's not the only option — more on that here).
Buyer base. Faire has the larger overall buyer base, with over 700,000 retailers internationally. Creoate has over 250,000 active retailers and has a particularly strong base in the UK and Europe, which makes it an attractive option for brands wanting to reach those markets.
NET terms for your own buyers. Creoate's Trade Direct feature lets you offer 60 or 90 day payment terms to any wholesale buyer — even off-platform — with Creoate handling collections. Faire doesn't offer an equivalent feature for off-platform buyers.
👋 Oh, hi! We’re the friendly team at Wholesale In a Box.
Our mission is to put wholesale growth back in your hands. 💪
We offer training + coaching that gives you total control of your wholesale growth. See how it works right over here.
Want free help for wholesale? Sign up for our beloved email course (called Grow Your Wholesale) here.
Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to Use Creoate
If you're deciding whether to try Creoate to grow wholesale, especially as a handmade line, here are a few things to consider:
Make sure Creoate commissions will work for your business and products.
Creoate can be a way for makers to get exposure and branch into European markets, but with the commission rates that apply to every new and returning stockist (outside of referred retailers), it's important to really dig into your pricing to make sure the commission rate is something you can handle before you get started on the platform.
Consider Creoate in the context of your overall business and wholesale strategy,
It's wise to view Creoate as one wholesale tool among many, rather than as the entirety of your wholesale strategy.
Be strategic about how you use Creoate.
We recommend using a balanced approach that includes direct outreach to new shops, cultivating relationships with your current stockists, and using the marketplaces wisely. Take advantage of the 0% commission for referred retailers by inviting your existing stockists to the platform — and consider using Trade Direct to offer NET terms to wholesale buyers without taking on collection risk.
Consider Creoate as one marketplace option of several.
Creoate is one of several wholesale marketplace options. Compare the marketplace options for your business and choose one or more that really fits your needs, prices, aesthetic, and goals.
Be thoughtful about what markets you're ready to branch into.
If you're a UK or EU brand, Creoate is likely a strong choice given its established UK and European buyer base. If you are a US brand, Creoate can be a way to reach European retailers — and the fact that they now ship DDP makes international selling less risky than it used to be. That said, branching into European markets still means understanding your tax and regulatory obligations. You can also restrict your markets from your dashboard if you'd prefer to start with domestic orders only.
What is Wholesale In a Box?
Wholesale In a Box is our comprehensive course on growing wholesale, for makers. It is a self-paced training that includes everything you need to grow wholesale efficiently, effectively, and in your control. We teach a method that helps makers take wholesale outreach into their own hands, through a balance of direct outreach to new shops, cultivating relationships with your current stockists, and using the marketplaces (like Faire or Creoate) wisely. One big section of our course is all about finding sustainable success on the marketplaces, considering their unique algorithms, guidelines, and terms of service. Plus, makers can choose to get wholesale coaching from us, by email, which is why many makers say that Wholesale In a Box made them “go pro” with their business, improving everything from their operations to their line sheet to their marketing.
Our Take on Creoate
Creoate has matured since its inception — the platform has added useful features like Trade Direct, improved communication tools, individual product discounting, etc. It's a particularly strong option for UK and European brands, and an interesting option for US brands looking to reach those markets.
That said, many of the fundamentals haven't changed: commission rates are ongoing and you're still building your wholesale relationships inside someone else's platform. The relationships that create the foundation of your business are the main asset you have — and it's wise to cultivate those relationships in ways that are balanced and sustainable. That may mean using several wholesale platforms and tools simultaneously, and strategically.
Let us know if you have other questions about Creoate or Wholesale In a Box! We’re happy to dig into your particular business goals and product line to help you explore the right strategy for you.
Looking for even more resources about Faire, Tundra, Abound, and the other wholesale marketplaces for makers? Here are some that might be helpful:
Smart Ways to Use Faire to Grow Wholesale as a Maker — And Mistakes to Avoid
How to Compare and Choose The Right Wholesale Marketplace For You
*At Wholesale In a Box we do not receive any commissions or compensation of any kind from Creoate, Faire or any other marketplace. All of our educational content is meant to support makers and small brands in making the right choices for them.