How to Sell on Faire Wholesale Platform as a Taiwan Brand

Faire is the largest online wholesale marketplace in North America, connecting over 100,000 independent retailers with brands across 150 product categories. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, Faire reached a $12.4 billion valuation in its Series G funding round and processed over $1 billion in gross merchandise value in 2025. The platform's unique value proposition is its data-driven approach to connecting retailers with relevant products and its risk-free ordering model that lets retailers return unsold inventory within 60 days -- a feature that dramatically reduces the barrier to trying new brands.

For Taiwan brands, Faire provides access to a curated network of independent retailers -- from boutique gift shops in Brooklyn to specialty food stores in Austin to natural beauty retailers in Portland -- without the overhead of building a US sales team or attending dozens of trade shows. The platform handles payment processing, provides buyer analytics, and offers net-60 payment terms to retailers (while paying brands within 1 to 3 business days of shipment). This payment structure is particularly valuable for international sellers who would otherwise face the cash flow challenge of extending credit terms to thousands of individual retail accounts.

Faire's retailer base spans several categories relevant to Taiwan exporters: home and living (28 percent of retailers), food and beverage (18 percent), beauty and wellness (15 percent), jewelry and accessories (14 percent), baby and kids (10 percent), and pets (8 percent). The average retailer on Faire places 6 to 8 orders per month from different brands, with an average order value of $280 for first-time orders and $420 for reorders. Faire's algorithm actively recommends new brands to retailers based on their purchase history and store profile, providing organic discovery that supplements a brand's own marketing efforts.

The competitive landscape on Faire includes approximately 85,000 active brand accounts, but only a fraction are international sellers. This relative scarcity of imported brands, particularly from Asia, creates an opportunity for Taiwan brands to offer products that domestic US makers cannot replicate -- whether in ceramics, tea, specialty foods, skincare formulations, or handcrafted goods. Retailers consistently report that their most successful products are those with unique stories, distinctive aesthetics, and quality that customers cannot find at big-box retailers.

Faire expanded internationally in 2022 and now operates in the US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia. For Taiwan brands, this means a single Faire account can potentially reach independent retailers across five major English-speaking and European markets. However, each market requires separate fulfillment arrangements and may have different regulatory requirements. LNH31 Global recommends starting with the US market, which has the largest retailer base and the most established Faire ecosystem, before expanding to other territories.

Setting up a Faire brand account from Taiwan requires an application through Faire's online portal at faire.com/brand-signup. The application requests basic company information, product photographs (minimum 5 products), wholesale pricing, and shipping capabilities. Faire reviews applications within 5 to 10 business days and accepts approximately 30 percent of applicants. Key factors that increase acceptance probability include professional product photography (lifestyle images, not just product-on-white-background), a cohesive brand story, wholesale pricing that provides retailers with at least 50 percent markup (keystone margin), and evidence of existing retail sales or press coverage.

International sellers must provide a valid business registration, a bank account capable of receiving USD wire transfers (Faire uses Stripe for payouts), and a shipping address in the seller's country of origin. Faire does not require a US business entity or US bank account for international sellers, which removes a significant barrier to entry. However, sellers must be able to ship orders to US addresses within the platform's expected timeframes, which are 3 to 5 business days for domestic orders and 7 to 14 business days for international shipments. Meeting these shipping windows from Taiwan requires either pre-positioning inventory in a US warehouse or using express air freight.

Faire offers two primary fulfillment models for international sellers. The first is direct shipping from Taiwan, which works for made-to-order products or brands with fast production capabilities, but shipping costs of $15 to $40 per package via DHL Express or FedEx International Priority can eat into margins on lower-priced items. The second model is warehousing inventory at a US 3PL (third-party logistics) provider and shipping domestically. US 3PL costs for Faire-sized shipments average $3 to $5 per order for pick-and-pack plus $5 to $12 for USPS Priority or UPS Ground shipping, making this the more economical option for brands with consistent order flow.

LNH31 Global recommends that Taiwan brands targeting Faire pre-position at least 60 to 90 days of inventory in a US warehouse. Suitable 3PL providers for small to mid-size brands include ShipBob (nationwide fulfillment network, $5.30 average per order), ShipMonk (Florida and California locations, $4.75 per order), and Deliverr (now part of Shopify Fulfillment Network, competitive for marketplace sellers). The upfront investment for initial US inventory positioning, including sea freight from Taiwan, customs clearance, and 3PL onboarding, typically ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on product category and quantity.

Faire's commission structure is designed to incentivize long-term retailer relationships. For the first order from any new retailer, Faire charges brands a 25 percent commission on the wholesale price (reduced from 25 percent to 15 percent for brands on the Faire Direct program -- more on this below). For all subsequent reorders from that same retailer, the commission drops to 0 percent. This structure means that initial customer acquisition is expensive, but the lifetime value of a retained retail account is highly favorable. Brands with strong reorder rates (above 50 percent) effectively pay a blended commission of 5 to 8 percent across their total Faire revenue.

Pricing strategy on Faire must account for the commission on first orders while remaining competitive with other wholesale brands. The standard approach is to set your Faire wholesale price at your standard wholesale price (typically 50 percent of MSRP), absorbing the 25 percent first-order commission as a customer acquisition cost. For example, if your retail price is $40, your Faire wholesale price should be $20. On the first order, you receive $15 after the 25 percent commission. On reorders, you receive the full $20. If your cost of goods sold is $8 and shipping costs $4, your net margin is $3 on first orders and $8 on reorders.

Faire pays brands within 1 to 3 business days of order shipment confirmation, regardless of when the retailer actually pays. Faire extends net-60 payment terms to retailers (meaning the retailer has 60 days to pay), but the brand is not exposed to this credit risk -- Faire assumes the payment risk entirely. This is a significant advantage for Taiwan brands, as extending credit terms to hundreds of small US retailers would be both risky and administratively burdensome. International payouts are made via Stripe in USD to your designated bank account, with Stripe's standard international transfer fees applying.

The Faire Direct program, launched in 2023, allows brands to share a custom Faire link with retailers they acquire through their own channels (trade shows, cold outreach, existing relationships). Orders placed through Faire Direct links are charged a reduced commission of 15 percent on first orders (instead of 25 percent) and still 0 percent on reorders. Additionally, Faire Direct provides the brand with more customer data, including the retailer's contact information, which is typically anonymized in standard Faire transactions. Taiwan brands with existing US retail connections should funnel those relationships through Faire Direct to minimize commissions while still benefiting from Faire's payment processing and logistics infrastructure.

Faire also offers an advertising program called Faire Ads, which charges a cost-per-click model with bids starting at $0.10 per click. Average CPCs range from $0.25 to $0.75 depending on product category, with typical advertising cost of sales (ACoS) of 15 to 25 percent for new brands. The return on ad spend improves significantly once a brand has accumulated reviews and a strong sales history on the platform. LNH31 Global recommends allocating $500 to $1,000 per month in Faire Ads for the first 6 months, focusing on category-specific keywords and competitor brand targeting.

Product listing optimization on Faire follows different rules than consumer marketplaces like Amazon. Faire buyers are professional retailers evaluating products for their stores, so listing content must address wholesale-specific concerns: margin potential, product uniqueness, customer appeal, and merchandising compatibility. The product title should be descriptive and keyword-rich (for example, "Organic Oolong Tea Sampler Gift Set - 6 Varieties - Taiwan Origin - Retail Ready Packaging") rather than clever or brand-centric. Include the retail price point prominently so buyers can immediately calculate their margin.

Product photography on Faire should include at least 5 images per listing: a hero product shot on a clean background, 2 to 3 lifestyle images showing the product in a retail or home context, a packaging detail shot, and an image showing the product assortment or collection context. Faire's algorithm prioritizes listings with more images in search results, and conversion rates increase by 40 percent when listings include 6 or more photos. Video content (15 to 30 seconds showing the product in use) can be added to listings and increases retailer engagement by approximately 25 percent.

Minimum order quantities and case packs significantly affect retailer adoption. Faire data shows that products with minimum order values of $100 or less receive 3 times more first orders than those with $300+ minimums. For Taiwan brands, this means offering smaller case packs (6 to 12 units per SKU) rather than requiring bulk purchases of 48 or more units. Consider creating a "starter pack" assortment that lets retailers test 3 to 5 products at a $150 to $200 total order value. As the relationship develops and products prove successful, retailers will naturally increase order sizes and frequency.

Building retailer relationships on Faire requires active engagement beyond listing products. Respond to retailer inquiries within 4 hours (Faire tracks response time and it affects search ranking), send personalized thank-you messages with first orders, include marketing materials and display suggestions in shipments, and use Faire's built-in messaging to share new product launches, seasonal promotions, and restock reminders. Brands that send at least 2 messages per month to their retailer network see 35 percent higher reorder rates than those that do not engage proactively.

Seasonal planning is critical for Faire success. Retailers on the platform plan 2 to 4 months ahead of selling seasons. Gift-oriented products should be listed and promoted in August for the holiday season, spring collections in January, summer products in March, and back-to-school items in May. Faire's "Top Shop" program highlights trending brands during key buying periods, and achieving Top Shop status requires consistent sales velocity, high retailer ratings (4.5+ stars), and on-time shipping rates above 95 percent. Taiwan brands should align their inventory planning and promotional calendar with these buying cycles to maximize visibility during peak ordering periods.