The difference between Faire vs. Tundra Wholesale

The difference between Faire vs. Tundra Wholesale

As an independent retail business owner, there was a time when your only option to buy or sell your wholesale products was at in-person market wholesale events like AmericasMart, Las Vegas Market, and Dallas Market.

Over the past few years, this has changed drastically.

Now there are platforms that offer you the ability to sell wholesale or buy wholesale – all online.

Faire and Tundra are two of these online wholesale marketplaces.

If you’re a maker you can sell to brick and mortar store owners and if you’re a brick and mortar store owner, you can buy from makers and brands.

Both Faire and Tundra launched within a couple of years of each other. I’ve often wondered what’s the difference between the two.  So if I’m wondering, I know all of you are wondering too.

Let’s break down Faire vs. Tundra:

COMMISSION (FOR MAKER/SUPPLIER)

• FAIRE charges commissions of 15-25% to the Maker
• TUNDRA has a Zero-Commission model.  Brands with a Gold Badge indicate you get the products at the lowest price online.

• FAIRE offers free returns on first orders with makers.  From the date your order is placed, you have 60 days to return the product. This allows you time to try out the product and return what doesn’t work for a full refund. Any reorders from a Maker are not eligible for return.
• TUNDRA does not offer returns – citing their lower prices and low minimums reduce the risk for retailers.

• FAIRE offers free shipping on your first order.
• TUNDRA has free standard shipping on most products. All products marked with the blue truck icon have free standard shipping.

TERMS (FOR BUYERS)

• FAIRE – Net 60 payment terms are available for all orders (eligible for brick & mortar businesses) and they occasionally offer Net 90 terms.
• TUNDRA – Approved organizations are eligible for Net 60 payment terms on all purchases on Tundra. Net 60 payment terms are free for qualified buyers; interest and/or penalties only apply if payment is not made within 60 days.

HOW DO FAIRE AND TUNDRA MAKE MONEY?

• FAIRE collects 15-25% commission from Makers/Suppliers.  They also offer an Insider subscription program to brick and mortar businesses.  Insider is Faire’s exclusive subscription program with free freight — the more you buy, the more you save! Members are granted free domestic freight on all orders from select makers and early access to the newest arrivals.
• TUNDRA does not charge a fee, markup, or commission on orders between buyers and suppliers and never will. Tundra makes money by providing optional services and features. Buyers can purchase expedited shipping, insurance and prepaid duties and taxes for international orders at checkout. Suppliers can pay for faster storefront setup as well as select brand promotion opportunities.

IN SUMMARY

Both platforms have similarities and differences.  In the end, I can appreciate that Tundra does not charge it’s suppliers (makers) a commission.  Makers work extremely hard at their craft and when they wholesale, their profit margins are cut drastically.  So this makes selling on Tundra much more profitable for them.

Faire’s free shipping offers and subscription are appealing but I find it’s a one-time offer and the orders that qualify for free shipping are limited. For small brick and mortar business owners, it’s a nice benefit to test a maker’s products knowing that you can return the items if they don’t sell in your store but Tundra’s lower prices are a nice benefit too!

So, in the end, you choose what’s right for YOU and your business.  It doesn’t take much to set up accounts with both Tundra and Faire.  Test them out yourself!

OFFERS FOR MAKERS AND BUYERS (Updated 2/13/21):

FAIRE:  If you’re a BUYER – there are currently no offers

If you’re a MAKER who hasn’t applied to sell on Faire yet, CONTACT ME and I’ll send you a special email invite from Faire to apply to join. If accepted by Faire you’ll have the ability to sell your products in an online marketplace to over 150,000 retail store owners.

TUNDRA:  If you’re a BUYER click HERE to get 15% off everything you buy on Tundra for the first 30 days and I’ll get 5% back.

If you’re a MAKER, click HERE to apply to sell on Tundra where your products can be seen by thousands of retail store owners.

*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links or referral codes, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link or using the code. I make recommendations because I believe they are useful to shopkeepers.  Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

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I look forward to learning from all of you too. Thanks for being here!  ~ Kathy

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