How to Build Long-Term Relationships with Retailers on Faire

How to Build Long-Term Relationships with Retailers on Faire

Faire marketplace is brilliant for making wholesale simple. Retailers can shop from you 24/7 with no back-and-forth, minimum orders, or fuss. But there’s a trade-off because that convenience can make wholesale relationships feel a bit transactional. 

With retailers now just a few clicks away from buying from anyone, how do you build relationships that actually last? 

In this post, we’ll walk you through the exact ways we’ve built long-term partnerships with our Faire retailers; many of which have lasted for years. We’ve built a six-figure wholesale business on Faire in under three years even in a crowded, competitive landscape. 

Let’s begin. 

Step 1: Start With a Product That Works 

Before we talk strategy, let’s get the basics right. If your product sells well in their store, they’ll come back. Retailers aren’t looking for novelty, they’re looking for margins. That’s why we recommend: 

  • Reviewing competitor pricing in your category 

  • Creating a retailer Faire account so you can view your space as a buyer 

  • Adjusting your pricing if needed (we actually lowered ours after doing this) 

But don’t fall into the price trap. There will always be someone cheaper. For us, as a premium and ethical sock brand, we know we’re not for every buyer. And that’s okay. If a retailer is only focused on cost, they probably aren’t aligned with our values or our target consumer. 

Step 2: Customer Service That Sets You Apart 

Even if the product is great, things can go wrong at times. When they do, your customer service is what will make you memorable. During peak season, one of the UK couriers (Yodel) collapsed under pressure. While we didn’t use them, the entire network: FedEx, DPD, Royal Mail, slowed down and orders were delayed. 

Here’s what we did: 

  • We kept our direct line open to retailers 

  • We proactively handled tracking, chased couriers, and communicated updates 

  • We made sure they knew we were on it 

This matters because it’s no longer “just a brand on Faire.” It’s Lucy, Andy, or someone from our team on the other end. That human connection is priceless. 

Step 3: Segment Your Retailers  

We don’t treat every retailer the same, and we shouldn’t. We use an A–D segmentation model based on spend. Our A retailers are the high-volume, high-value partners who get a deeper level of service. Here’s how we nurture those top-tier accounts: 

1. Get Personal 

We schedule calls with them or even visit in person. We don’t do this to sell anything to them. Instead, we go there to listen. We gather feedback on: 

  • What their store needs 

  • What’s working and what isn’t 

  • What kind of customers they serve 

In fact, much of our wholesale proposition has been built based on this feedback. 

2. Create Exclusive Touchpoints 

Exclusive touch points like custom discount codes named after their shop and early access to launches or restocks have continued to work wonders for us on Faire wholesale marketplace. We also give our retailers personalised stock update emails so they can reorder bestsellers before they run out. 

3. Share the Love and the Marketing Collateral 

We provide the retailer with a Google Drive folder full of marketing assets, free point-of-sale posters and branded sock displays like £30 desktop holders and £200 floor stands. 

Yes, we give those displays away for free to top customers. Sometimes we even offer them proactively. It’s our way of getting our branding into stores and making retailers feel truly supported. 

Step 4: Be Social 

Many of our best retailers engage with us on social media. They tag us in photos, post in-store displays, and showcase how they stock our products. 

What do we do? 

  • Repost their stories 

  • Comment on their posts 

  • Celebrate their shops publicly 

Again, it’s not just about sales, it’s about connection and showing up as humans behind the brand. 

Step 5: Collaborate with Retailers on Product Development 

One of the most powerful things you can do is to co-create with your retailers. We’ve involved ours in voting on product ranges, providing feedback before a product launch and sharing seasonal insights. This makes them feel invested, and it shows you’re a partner, not just a supplier. 

You Don’t Have to Do It All at Once 

We’ve built this system over three years. You don’t have to start with everything today. 

Instead: 

  • Pick one retailer you admire or who buys frequently 

  • Send them a thoughtful email 

  • Ask for feedback, or invite them to vote on an upcoming product 

  • Or better yet, go visit them. They’re open during store hours anyways, so why not pop in? 

Remember, humans interact with humans. Faire wholesale marketplace might be a digital platform, but loyalty is still earned the old-fashioned way, with relationships. 

Conclusion 

Have you built a connection with a retailer lately? Visited a shop in person? Gotten feedback that changed your product for the better? We’d love to hear your experience. Building your wholesale business is about more than just clicks and conversions. It’s about community. 

If all this feels a little overwhelming and you need help getting started, email us at hello@candidfounders.com, we’d love to help. Subscribe to our weekly content and  

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