I want to help you build a sustainable, profitable handmade business that makes you consistent income and sales. I only ever teach or recommend marketing, social media, pricing, production and branding tips that I’ve personally used successfully in my own 7-figure handmade businesses.
I'm Mei, from Los Angeles!
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selling wholesale
Today we’re going to talk about the five best places to sell your handmade products wholesale online.
Selling wholesale is a great option for sellers who want to increase brand awareness, have a consistent income source, and sell their items in bulk – which means more profit for your shop!
I have never actually sold on Faire but I just chatted with them last week and will be trying them out.
They’ve been doing virtual trade shows and the last one they did in August was a huge success!
When I asked the Faire rep how they were able to simulate a live event online, she said they focus on offers. Meaning, sellers were encouraged to give a 10% discount on orders to wholesale buyers, and Faire would match that discount, so buyers would ultimately get 20% off.
That discount would only last for the duration of the virtual event, so there’s real urgency there for buyers to order.
I’m personally kind of excited about that! I’ll be taking part in their trade show in the springtime.
From what I’ve heard, it’s supposed to be a great platform that covers a wide variety of products.
Whether you’re selling pet supplies, jewelry, clothing, or food, there’s a place for your shop on there.
As for pricing – this is where it gets a little tricky.
Faire takes 25% of the commission on the first order you get.
I know that can dampen that feeling of excitement when you make your first sale because that is a big commission.
Still, that 25% is only on your first order. Faire takes 15% on all proceeding orders.
Considering that they do the hard work in finding buyers for you, I think that’s not a terrible deal especially when you consider working with sales reps.
Those guys take 15% commission as well.
So it’s not a totally crazy number that they’re asking from you.
When I worked with sales reps, there were a lot of hidden costs like sending them product samples for everything, and they’re always asking for promotional material like postcards or printed catalogs.
You have to pay for that, not the sales rep.
The only reason I stopped working with my sales reps was because the hidden costs became too much and it was more expensive to have them on.
And they eventually stopped making me as many sales in the year before that.
There’s a 3% fee on Faire if you want to get paid right away, but if you’re okay with waiting 30 days, that fee will be waived.
So, this might sound a little pricey, but the good news is that it’s actually relatively easy to be profitable on the platform.
Most sellers report making their first sale within just a week of joining the platform – and we all know that the first sale is a critical jumping-off point.
If you’re interested in applying to sell on Faire, they’ve got a simple application process.
You fill out a form where you tell them a little about your brand and list the independent shops you’ve worked with.
The site set up is a little bit frustrating because your banners are uploaded manually, meaning you’ll have to reach out to customer service whenever you want to change your page design.
That being said, Faire’s customer service is supposed to be really great to work with, so maybe that won’t be too bad!
Stockabl is another platform that features a variety of product types – from beauty to home décor, to kitchen and women’s clothing (and more).
They do not sell food and beverage on this site, but if your shop sells anything else, you can probably find a place for your shop on their site.
Unlike Faire, Stockabl does not take a commission from your orders – but that’s because they charge a monthly membership fee.
Membership fees are not uncommon among wholesale sites – and it’s nice to be able to make all the profit from individual sales.
Still, you’ll need to make sure the monthly payments are worth it for your products.
Stockabl charges $25 a month or, if you pay upfront, a discounted rate of $62.50 a quarter.
This does mean you have a bit more at risk because the platform isn’t really incentivized to push sales to you because that’s not how they make money.
You will have to pay all the processing fees on your order – which comes out to 2.9% plus .55 per order.
And if you’re selling overseas, you’ll need to pay a 2% conversion fee.
If you’d like to open a shop on Stockabl, you’ll need to fill out a simple application form, similar to the one for Faire.
It’ll just ask for basic information about your brand.
When you get accepted, you’ll find a really easy setup process – where you get unlimited reach and a completely custom storefront.
I sold on IndieMe a few years ago when they were called WholesaleCrafts.
I wasn’t overrun with orders, but I did get a purchase every now and then, and it was always nice to make a few hundred extra dollars without having to do anything to chase down the sale.
I also had the option to pay a small amount to be featured in their newsletter – and that always gave me more business.
IndieMe only sells 100% handcrafted products that are made in the USA and Canada.
This means that no products can be made using crafting kits or outsourced – they all need to be crafted in studio in the US or Canada.
This makes this site really unique – and a wonderful place to sell if you’ve got unique, handmade products.
Their categories range from jewelry to artisan foods – and again, everything on the site is handmade.
IndieMe is a little on the pricey end when it comes to their monthly membership – but again, because they have a membership, you won’t be cutting them a commission on your sales.
Their quarterly plan is $117 and their monthly plan is $39 a month.
This may be worth it, though, because in addition to their weekly newsletters, the site has a yearly trade show.
This means more opportunities for exposure for your brand – which then leads to more sales.
Plus, after your application is accepted, you’ll get a free featured ad on their homepage.
IndieMe’s application process is easy enough (another form to fill out) and their set up is even easier.
Unfortunately, there is a $20 application fee, but it just might be worth it for that free ad.
I have never personally used Hubba – mostly because this platform is set up for food and beverage sales – but also sells personal care and beauty.
Apparel, houseware, and pet products can be sold on the site, but there’s less focus on those types of items.
If you’ve got a food and beverage shop, or a personal care shop, Hubba is the site for you!
Otherwise, you might be better off using one of the platforms mentioned earlier.
It’s free to list your products on Hubba.
But they take a 10% commission on all of your sales – and that doesn’t include what you’ll have to pay in taxes, duties, and shipping costs – plus the 2.9% transaction fee.
Still, this is a more cost-efficient platform for anyone who is hesitant to hand over a monthly membership fee on another platform.
And it takes less of a percentage than Faire does.
When it comes to making a profit on Hubba, it’s a pretty popular site, so you have a good chance of making regular sales, especially if you’re selling in the food and beverage niche.
Hubba has an easy application process and your shop’s page has an easy setup.
Mostly because it’s not really customizable aside from the banner.
It’s still nice that you don’t have to put in much work to get your page going.
Finally, you can also sell your products wholesale on your own site!
As great as some of those platforms are for selling wholesale – there’s nothing quite like having your own site.
You’ll get to sell your own products without competition from other brands, and you can customize the site to match your brand and process exactly.
As for payments – there are no monthly fees and no commission cuts, just a one-time fee to get a developer to install the code for you.
That means that you get to make much more of a profit on your sales.
On my site, I collect wholesale payments using Shopify’s checkout system.
This makes it really easy to be paid every time I make a sale – and it’s so nice not having to shovel out those extra fees.
Plus, using a Shopify check out system makes it super easy for buyers to buy directly from you and for us, the sellers, to collect payment.
It’s a win-win all around!
Not to mention that the Shopify order form I’ve set up is extremely easy to fill out and follow – another aspect buyers love.
As for reach – the more you market your site, the more customers you’ll get.
This is all about establishing your brand and reaching out to potential retailers and customers so you can bring traffic to your website.
The great thing is that you’re in control over getting retailers to view your site – instead of relying on paid ads or algorithms for your product to show up and stand out on a scrolling page.
The drawback is exactly that… you have to go out there to find customers. Whereas all the other sites, more or less, take care of that part for you.
If you’re curious how to set up wholesale on your site without using apps that charge a monthly fee, I offer the coding and training for doing that in my A Sale A Day Business System Course.
If you enjoyed this post or have any experience with these sites to share please leave a comment below! I hope you enjoyed today’s tip on wholesale.
Don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel for more great handmade business tips!
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Thanks for this article. So do I understand correctly that if you sign up with Faire, they take 25%-15% of each sale, on top of the 50%-55% discount that the retailers expect? So that would mean that you have to sell your product at a 65%-75% total discount? I know as a handmade potter that there is no way that I could or be will to take 25%-35% for my work. Am I correct in this? Thanks
Hello Karen!
My name is John a wholesale distributor on Faire.com. I wanted to respond to your comment in such a manner that makes sense. As a handmade, according to this lovely article a site like IndieMe and or etsy.com would be more appropriate for your products.
Faire according to our experience is best suited for wholesale distributors that carry clothing apparel, clothing accessories, and or cosmetics. If indeed you were to run a dropship business, it seems Faire would be an excellent platform and or a better choice for your business model.
You can however register as a buyer for the privilege to resell products from vetted suppliers. In other words you would buy at wholesale to sell at retail. Happy selling! God bless you and family.
Mei, I appreciate you providing these wonderful information about the top five online wholesale marketplaces. Those wishing to grow their handmade enterprises will find great value in your advice and personal experience. I have a remark about your post.
such a great tips.Thanks for share with us.visit the site to buy wholesale rice at low cost.