It’s the platform every maker and buyer seems to be talking about, and after months of digging in, I’m finally ready to share my full review of Faire. Throughout this series, I’ve taken a deep dive into the Faire wholesale marketplace (formerly Indigo Fair) to help my community decide whether it’s worth applying as a seller. What started as a simple review has grown into an in-depth, seven-part exploration of the pros and cons of this rapidly growing wholesale platform.

Review of Faire

This is the seventh—and final—installment of the series, where I’m summarizing community feedback and sharing my concluding thoughts on selling through Faire.

HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT FAIRE?

Over a four-week period, I surveyed artisans and buyers who have firsthand experience with the platform. My goal was to gather honest feedback and better understand the results makers are seeing. A total of 91 people responded: 83% were artisans, 9% were retailers, and 8% both bought and sold on Faire. You’ll find a visual summary of the survey results in the infographic at the end of this post.

Most respondents were relatively new to the platform, with 39% selling on Faire for less than three months and another 34% for three to six months. Only 3% had been using Faire for eighteen months or longer. I asked all respondents two key questions:

  • On a scale of 1–100, how pleased are you with your experience on Faire?
    The average response was 72.

  • On a scale of 1–100, how would you rate Faire’s responsiveness and customer service?
    The average rating was 79.

    I was especially interested in hearing directly from brand owners about their order volume on Faire. Nearly half of respondents (47%) reported receiving between 1–4 orders per month. Another 29% said they receive 5–9 monthly orders. Altogether, this means 76% of artisans on the platform are getting nine orders or fewer each month. On the other end of the spectrum, a small but notable 1% reported receiving more than 50 orders per month.

    Half of all respondents (50%) received their very first order within a week of going live on Faire—a remarkably fast turnaround and a big reason why makers often get hooked so quickly. Overall, 88% of sellers landed an order within their first month, while only 2% are still waiting for their first sale. That level of almost-instant feedback makes me wonder whether Faire’s algorithm is intentionally designed to send early orders to new brands as a way of “seeding” the relationship.

    As I noted in an earlier blog about Indigo Fair, Faire’s commission structure has shifted as the platform has grown. Makers joining today pay a 25% commission on a buyer’s first order, a 15% commission on reorders from that same buyer, and can opt to pay an additional 3% fee for immediate payout rather than waiting 30 days for the invoice to clear. When I surveyed the Lucky Break community, 64% of respondents said they’re operating under this current fee structure, while the remaining 36% are grandfathered into older—often more favorable—terms.

    CRITICISM OF FAIRE

    Of course, not everyone is eager to jump on the Faire bandwagon, and even some who have joined admit they did so with hesitation. Many artisans I spoke with expressed concerns about the platform. The most common issues included mistrust over frequent changes to policies, frustration with the high commission fees, and discomfort with Faire’s return handling. A number of makers also reported that Faire had listed their products without prior notice or permission, and there was no shortage of complaints about limited transparency and the overall lack of clarity around how the platform operates.

Proceed with caution, friends.

For better or worse, this is where we are. Faire is very much a reality, and it’s not likely to disappear anytime soon. If the rise of Tundra and other “me too” wholesale marketplaces tells us anything, it’s that the digitization of wholesale is the direction the industry is moving.

I sometimes feel like the grumpy old man in a rumpled bathrobe, hair sticking up, waving a newspaper and shouting, “Get off my lawn!” whenever I talk about Faire. It’s an image I cringe at—but can’t quite shake. I just can’t muster that running-through-the-sprinklers-in-my-swimsuit excitement about Faire, because I’m convinced there are long-term consequences for artisans that many of us won’t be thrilled about. Still, I also can’t deny that Faire works—at least right now—and for many makers, “right now” feels like all they can manage.

Here are my parting recommendations:

  1. Don’t put all your eggs in the Faire basket (or anyone’s basket).
  2. Use every tool you have to build strong, direct relationships with retailers.
  3. If you’re building a luxury brand, reach out to Faire about their beta buy-back program so you can regain control of returns.
  4. Watch your numbers closely to make sure your margins can support 25%–28% commissions.
  5. Enable direct wholesale ordering on your own website and offer incentives—like lower minimums, faster fulfillment, or free shipping above a certain threshold—to encourage retailers to order directly from you.

I can’t offer a universal thumbs-up or thumbs-down on Faire. Our brands are all at different stages, with unique goals, pricing structures, and profit margins. So: do your research. Run your numbers. Don’t fall into “group think.” Choose what’s best for your business.

Whatever you decide about Indigo Fair/Faire, know that I’m cheering you on.



LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAIRE WHOLESALE MARKETPLACE

Over the past several months, I’ve been digging deep into Faire (formerly Indigo Fair), researching the platform from every angle. I invite you to explore the full series to help you decide whether Faire is the right opportunity for your brand:

  • What is Faire Wholesale?

  • How to Sell on Faire

  • The Pros of Faire

  • The Cons of Faire

  • My Interview with Max Rhodes, CEO of Faire

What’s your take on Faire? Are they sharp innovators reshaping the wholesale landscape, opportunists reinventing the model without enough regard for artisans, or something somewhere in the middle? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences—drop a comment and join the conversation!