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Alternatives
Faire alternatives for food makers
Faire is the largest wholesale marketplace, but its commissions and broad catalog do not suit every food brand. These are the wholesale channels food makers use instead of, or alongside, Faire.
| Channel | Best for | Food focus | How you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faire | Broadest retailer reach | Part of catalog | Commission |
| Mable | Grocers and specialty food | Yes | Commission |
| Abound | Curated gift and lifestyle | Part of catalog | Commission |
| IndieMe | Handmade makers | Part of catalog | Membership |
| Your own portal | Repeat accounts | Yours | No commission |
The short answer
Mable is the most food-focused alternative. Abound is a curated general wholesale marketplace. IndieMe suits handmade makers in North America. Your own wholesale portal keeps the margin on your best accounts. Most brands use one marketplace for discovery and their own portal for reorders.
The alternatives
-
Mable
Best for grocers and specialty foodA wholesale marketplace built for food and beverage brands, focused on helping independent grocers and specialty shops find local and regional products.
Good fit if- Your buyers are grocers and specialty food shops
- Your products are shelf-stable or regional
Watch for- Smaller retailer network than Faire
-
Abound
Best for curated gift and lifestyleA curated wholesale marketplace for independent brands, strongest in gift, home and lifestyle shops that also carry packaged food.
Good fit if- Your food sells as a gift
- You want a curated catalog
Watch for- Food is one category among many
-
IndieMe
Best for handmade makersA wholesale marketplace for handmade goods made in the US and Canada, including artisan food.
Good fit if- Your brand is handmade and small batch
- You prefer a membership to a commission
Watch for- Smaller buyer network
-
Madeline's
Best for retail reach for specialty foodNot a wholesale marketplace: Madeline's is a retail marketplace where you keep your brand on the product page and ship your own boxes, on commission only.
Good fit if- You want online retail sales without running ads
- You ship your own orders
Watch for- Retail, not wholesale; pair it with a wholesale channel
-
Your own wholesale portal
Best for repeat accountsA password-protected ordering page with your price list, case packs and minimums, so your best stores and restaurants reorder without a marketplace cut.
Good fit if- You have accounts that reorder
- You want to keep the full wholesale margin
Watch for- You bring the buyers; it does not find new ones
Want one of these set up for you?
Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.
How it works
Tell us what you make
What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.
Get a short plan
Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.
We set it up
Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.
Run it or hand it off
Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.
Questions
What is the best Faire alternative for a food brand?
Mable is the most food-focused. Many food brands also keep Faire for discovery and move repeat accounts to their own wholesale portal.
Is Tundra still an option?
No. Tundra shut down in 2022, so older guides that recommend it are out of date.
Should I leave Faire entirely?
Usually not. Use a marketplace to find new retailers and your own portal for accounts that reorder, so you pay commission only on discovery.
Can Madeline's build a wholesale portal for me?
Yes. We set up price lists, case packs, minimums and net terms in a portal on the store you already run.
Get a plan and a price
Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.
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