Faire vs Sales Reps: Which Is Better for Wholesale?

What is the difference between Faire and a wholesale sales rep?

A sales rep is a person (or a rep group) who sells your line to the stores they already know. Faire is a wholesale marketplace where retailers find and order from brands online. One is a relationship you rent, the other is a channel you run.

Independent reps usually work a defined territory and carry several non-competing brands. They visit stores, show samples, write orders and often staff a showroom or a booth at trade shows. Their value is access: a good rep can put your product in front of buyers who would never answer a cold email from you.

Faire replaces the visit with a storefront. Retailers browse your catalog, order on terms, and Faire collects the payment and pays you. If you are new to the platform, our guide on how Faire works for brands covers the basics.

How much does a wholesale sales rep cost compared with Faire?

A rep typically takes a percentage of every order, for as long as they hold the account. Faire takes a fixed commission on marketplace orders and 0% on retailers you bring in yourself. The difference is what you pay for the accounts you find on your own.

With a rep, the commission applies to every order in their territory, including reorders that would have come anyway. Many rep groups also charge showroom fees, trade show fees or a monthly retainer, and you supply the samples. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, because rep terms are not standardized.

Faire's fees in North America, per Faire's Help Center, work like this:

• Marketplace orders: 15% commission, plus a one-time $10 new customer fee on the first order from a new marketplace customer. Reorders are 15%.
• Faire Direct orders: 0% commission on every order from a retailer who places their first order with you through your Faire Direct link.
• Payment processing: 3.5% + $0.30 for next day payout, 2.4% + $0.30 for 30-day payout, or 1.9% + $0.30 for 60-day payout.

Outside North America, the first order from a new marketplace customer is charged 25% (15% plus a one-time 10% referral fee), and reorders are 15%, according to Faire's international fee page. For a full breakdown, see Faire fees for brands.

Faire vs sales reps: how do they compare side by side?

Faire wins on reach, payment risk and ownership of the retailer. Reps win on effort and on access to buyers who only buy in person. The table below adds a third option: a wholesale agency on a flat fee that finds retailers and invites them through your Faire Direct link.

On payment risk, Faire guarantees on-time payment to the brand and absorbs retailer defaults, with exceptions for terms of service violations, fraud, and missing or damaged goods. Eligible retailers also get 60-day payment terms, which makes a first order easier to approve.

Which is better for reaching new retailers, Faire or reps?

Faire is better for reaching new independent retailers at scale. A rep can only visit so many stores in one territory, while Faire puts your catalog in front of retailers across the country who are already shopping for new brands. That is why Faire helps most brands scale faster than a rep network.

The catch is that a listing alone rarely fills an order book. Marketplace discovery is competitive, and the brands that grow fastest pair it with active outreach. They find shops that fit, invite them through Faire Direct, and follow up until the first order and the reorder happen.

Reps beat Faire where the buyer will not shop online. Some regional chains, department stores and gift buyers still place most orders through reps or at shows. If your target list is a few dozen large accounts, a rep with those relationships can be worth the commission.

How do you sell wholesale online without a sales rep?

You list on Faire, then do the rep's job yourself: find stores, pitch them and follow up. Invite every retailer you find through your Faire Direct link, so you pay 0% commission instead of 15%.

1. Build a listing buyers can say yes to. Clear photos, full catalog, wholesale and retail prices, and titles that match how buyers search.
2. Build a target list. Independent shops that already stock brands like yours, in the categories and price points you fit.
3. Pitch with your Faire Direct link. Retailers new to Faire who sign up through it get 50% off their first order with you (capped) and a year of free shipping on your products, funded by Faire, per Faire's referral offer page. They must use it within 7 days of creating their account.
4. Follow up. Chase open carts, welcome new sign ups before the offer expires, and ask for reviews after delivery.
5. Prompt reorders. A store that reorders is worth far more than one that orders once.

For the pitch itself, read how to pitch a retail buyer.

When does a sales rep still make sense?

A rep still makes sense when your buyers expect a person, not a link. That usually means larger accounts, relationship driven categories and markets built around trade shows.

• Big regional chains. Chain buyers often work with reps they trust and buy on set calendars.
• Touch and feel categories. Some apparel, jewelry, furniture and gift buyers want to see and handle samples before they commit.
• Trade show heavy markets. If your category does most of its business at gift shows, a rep who staffs a showroom saves you the travel and booth cost.
• Established brands with proven sell through. Reps prefer lines that already sell, so they are easier to sign once you have traction.

If you hire one, agree in writing what happens to the accounts if you part ways, and whether the rep earns commission on orders that come through Faire.

Can Faire replace both reps and distributors?

Faire can replace reps for most independent retail, but it does not replace distributors. A distributor buys your product at a deeper discount, holds the inventory and sells it on to larger accounts such as chains and grocery groups. Faire serves independent retailers ordering direct from you.

Most small brands start with Faire for independents and add a distributor only when larger accounts demand one. Price for both from day one, so a distributor margin does not wipe out your profit later.

How do you combine Faire and sales reps?

Use reps for the accounts Faire cannot reach and Faire for everything else. The two work well together if you set clear rules up front.

• Split by account type. Give reps named chains or a short list of key accounts, and keep independents on Faire.
• Route rep orders through Faire Direct. Reps can send their stores your Faire Direct link, so the retailer gets net terms and you get guaranteed payment.
• Agree commission on Faire orders. Decide whether reps earn on marketplace orders from their territory, or only on accounts they personally open.

If you want the reach of a rep without the commission, a flat fee agency is the middle option. That is how Ginger's Faire wholesale agency works: a team of Faire specialists finds and vets independent shops for your brand every week, invites them through your Faire Direct link at 0% commission, and handles the follow-up that turns first orders into reorders. Ginger charges a flat monthly fee, month to month, with no commission, and the retailer relationships stay in your own Faire account.