TLDR
Faire's effective take rate runs 17-19% and the platform does not share retailer contact data. For brands with an established retailer base, a direct wholesale portal costs a fixed monthly fee and zero per-order commissions. OrderDock, Shopify B2B with SparkLayer, BigCommerce B2B, Vanik, and NuOrder are the strongest options depending on your current infrastructure and order complexity.
Source: Sacra Research, mid-2024
Source: Shopify Q2 2025 earnings report
Source: APQC Order-to-Cash Digital Transformation Report, 2024
OrderDock
Purpose-built flat-rate wholesale ordering portal. Designed for brands that want to migrate their existing retailer base off commission platforms and into a direct ordering relationship.
Pros
- ✓ Starts at $20/month — flat rate regardless of order volume
- ✓ Zero commissions and zero transaction fees
- ✓ Native net terms, matrix ordering, and buyer-specific pricing
- ✓ Direct buyer portal — you own the relationship and data
Cons
- × No built-in marketplace network for new buyer discovery
- × Recently launched — smaller integration ecosystem than established platforms
- × Not suited for brands still in early discovery mode with retailers
Pricing: Launch $20/mo, Scale $49/mo, Enterprise $99/mo
Verdict: Best for brands with an established retailer base that are ready to migrate repeat buyers off Faire to a zero-commission portal. The math is straightforward: any month where you process more than a few hundred dollars in reorders, OrderDock costs less than Faire.
Shopify B2B (with SparkLayer)
For brands already on Shopify, adding SparkLayer enables a native B2B ordering portal without migrating to a new platform. Shopify's wholesale channel has grown 101% GMV in recent quarters.
Pros
- ✓ No platform migration required — works on top of your existing Shopify store
- ✓ SparkLayer adds matrix ordering, customer-specific pricing, and net terms
- ✓ Shopify's infrastructure and reliability
- ✓ Strong retail and wholesale on one platform if you run both channels
Cons
- × Shopify Plus is $2,300+/month before SparkLayer ($49-$599/month on top)
- × Shopify transaction fees still apply if not using Shopify Payments
- × More complex to set up than a standalone wholesale portal
- × Multiple vendors for billing and support (Shopify + SparkLayer)
Pricing: Shopify Plus from $2,300/mo + SparkLayer from $49/mo
Verdict: Best for brands already invested in Shopify infrastructure that want to add a wholesale channel rather than maintain a separate platform. The entry price is high for wholesale-only operations.
BigCommerce B2B Edition
Enterprise B2B ecommerce platform with native PO payments, invoice portals, quote management, and buyer-specific pricing. Zero transaction fees and a track record in mid-market B2B.
Pros
- ✓ Native PO workflows, quote management, and buyer account controls
- ✓ Zero transaction fees
- ✓ IDC 2025 study: 391% ROI for B2B Edition customers
- ✓ Established platform with strong mid-market references
Cons
- × Revenue-based pricing requires a sales conversation — no self-serve option
- × Implementation typically takes 2-4 months
- × Priced for mid-to-enterprise operations — not competitive for small brands
Pricing: Revenue-based (contact sales)
Verdict: Strong option for brands doing significant wholesale volume that need a robust platform with a proven implementation track record. Too expensive and complex for early-stage wholesale operations.
Vanik
Wholesale marketplace and direct portal explicitly positioned as a Faire alternative. Zero commission on reorders from existing retailer relationships.
Pros
- ✓ 0% commission on reorders — directly addresses Faire's margin problem
- ✓ Explicitly marketed to Faire-adjacent brands
- ✓ Maintains discovery capability while eliminating repeat-order commissions
Cons
- × Newer platform with a smaller established retailer network than Faire
- × Pricing model and long-term fee structure less established than competitors
- × Less publicly documented feature set for complex B2B workflows
Pricing: Contact for current pricing
Verdict: Worth evaluating for brands who want to stay on a marketplace model but eliminate the commission bleed on repeat orders. Verify current pricing and retailer network size before committing.
NuOrder (Lightspeed B2B)
B2B wholesale marketplace network with $96B in facilitated transactions. Strong in fashion, apparel, and consumer goods. Connects brands to retail accounts including Nordstrom and Saks.
Pros
- ✓ Established retail network with major accounts already on platform
- ✓ Strong digital catalog and line sheet tools
- ✓ No transaction fees on SaaS plan
- ✓ Good for brands selling to specialty retail and department stores
Cons
- × Starts at $7,000+/year with no low-cost entry tier
- × Industry-specific — not suited for food, industrial, or MRO distribution
- × Discovery still happens within NuOrder's ecosystem, not fully direct
Pricing: From $7,000+/year
Verdict: Best for apparel and consumer goods brands selling to department stores and specialty retail. The retail network is the differentiator. For food brands or industrial distributors, it is the wrong fit.
Why Brands Leave Faire
Faire built a category. In 2019-2022, it was the fastest way for emerging wholesale brands to reach independent retailers at scale. The pitch was simple: list your products, pay a commission only when you sell, and Faire handles discovery, net terms, and payments.
The commission math made sense during the discovery phase. Paying 19% to reach a new retailer account is reasonable if the relationship generates repeat orders. The problem is that Faire’s commission on reorders (15%, now effectively 17-19% blended) does not decline as the relationship matures. A retailer who has been ordering from your brand for three years still costs you 15% per order, even though Faire did nothing to facilitate that relationship.
Three additional factors push brands toward direct platforms:
Data ownership. Faire does not share retailer email addresses. If you sell on Faire for five years and then migrate, you lose direct contact with every retailer who has only ever engaged through Faire’s platform.
Pricing parity enforcement. Faire requires that your Faire prices match your direct prices. Running a lower-priced direct channel alongside Faire violates terms. This traps brands in the commission structure indefinitely.
Rising take rate. Faire has progressively added fees since its early growth phase. Advertising on Faire, promoted listings, and financing program changes have increased the effective cost of the platform for many brands.
What to Look For in a Direct Portal
When evaluating wholesale platforms for a Faire migration, the practical requirements are:
- Net terms support — if your retailers relied on Faire’s net-60 program, you need a platform that handles net terms natively or integrates with a net terms provider
- Buyer-specific pricing — your retailer pricing tiers should not require manual intervention for each order
- Direct communication tools — order confirmations, shipping notifications, and reorder prompts that go from you to the buyer, not through a marketplace intermediary
- Catalog flexibility — if you sell variant-heavy products (color, size, style), matrix ordering eliminates manual order entry errors
The Migration Decision: Existing Shopify Infrastructure vs. Standalone Portal
The biggest operational fork in the road for brands leaving Faire is their existing tech stack. If you are already running a Shopify store, adding Shopify B2B via SparkLayer lets you consolidate retail and wholesale in one system, but it costs more. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month.
If you do not have existing Shopify infrastructure, or if your wholesale channel is large enough to justify a dedicated system, a standalone wholesale portal like OrderDock at $20-$99/month costs less than a single month of Shopify Plus.
The migration itself typically takes 2-4 weeks for a standalone portal: import your product catalog, configure buyer accounts and pricing tiers, set up net terms, and send onboarding communication to your existing retailers. The technical lift is low compared to the ongoing commission savings.
| Platform | Starting Price | Commission on Reorders | Owns Buyer Data | Native Net Terms | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OrderDock | $20/mo | None | Yes | Yes | Established retailer base, direct portal |
| Shopify B2B + SparkLayer | $2,349+/mo | None | Yes | Via SparkLayer | Brands already on Shopify |
| BigCommerce B2B | Contact sales | None | Yes | Yes | Mid-to-enterprise wholesale |
| Vanik | Contact sales | 0% on reorders | Yes | TBD | Marketplace model without reorder fees |
| NuOrder | $7,000+/yr | None (SaaS) | Yes | Limited | Apparel/consumer goods brands |
| Faire (current) | Free to list | 15-19% per order | No | Yes (Faire pays) | Discovery of new retailers |
Q&A
Can I keep my Faire retailers when I switch platforms?
Yes, but Faire does not provide retailer email addresses, so direct outreach requires collecting contact information through other channels before migrating. Brands that have not captured retailer contact data independently — outside of Faire's messaging system — face a cold-start problem when migrating. The practical approach is to communicate migration plans through Faire's message system before the switch, then run parallel channels for a transition period.
Q&A
What do brands actually lose by leaving Faire?
Three things: discovery for new retail accounts, Faire's net-60 upfront payment program (where Faire pays you immediately and collects from the retailer), and access to Faire's retailer network for reorders. The discovery loss is manageable for established brands with a known retailer base. The net terms impact depends on how many of your retailers rely on Faire's built-in financing rather than your own net terms policy.
Q&A
Is there a platform that combines discovery with zero commissions on reorders?
Vanik explicitly positions as this: a wholesale marketplace with 0% commission on reorders from retailers you have already established. NuOrder offers similar economics on its SaaS tier. Both are smaller networks than Faire, so the discovery benefit is limited. Most brands that have left Faire successfully treat the migration as a two-step process: direct portal for existing accounts first, then selective use of smaller marketplaces for new account discovery.
Frequently asked