Some retailers have touted the advantages they have in ordering from Faire. There are some distinct disadvantages as well. We surveyed over 160 toy manufacturers and want to share what we found.

One manufacturer wrote "If a current customer orders on Faire, we always call and tell them they can get items cheaper if ordered through rep / direct".

Our survey showed that this manufacturer is not alone. 41% of our respondents say that they have higher prices on Faire. With the respondents who reported higher pricing, the average amount was 10%.

Another manufacturer stated "Yes our Faire pricing is approximately 15-20% higher than our standard wholesale price list. We use the higher pricing to encourage stores to connect with and utilize their local sales rep for the best pricing".

We also explored the questions: When shopping on Faire, do you see all of what this manufacturer has to offer?" and "Do you see all of their best and new products?"?

Many of the manufacturers reported that they do list their full catalog on Faire. However 24% said they don't.

"For items that are strong / hot sellers, we may keep them off Faire in order to reserve inventory for our wholesale customers."

When new products are released, 43% of the vendors said they do not immediately list these items on Faire. Many of the respondents waited a considerable time before selling new products on Faire. "We don't post our newest items to Faire until 90 days after they land."

One vendor who offers the full catalog and the same prices is planning on changing that in 2027. "Our tentative plan is to only offer a portion of our range, not the full range. We will also charge higher prices on Faire."

We are hearing from manufacturers that they aren't quite as enamored with Faire as they once were. With higher pricing and lower returns, 2027 is a chance to revamp their strategy with Faire. One sales manager wrote "I am working with my leadership to help them understand how Faire is hurting our business much more than it is helping us grow. Previously they relied almost completely on Faire. In the coming months, I will be putting a smaller catalog on Faire, raising the prices, making sure that is always a better deal to order directly with reps than through Faire. In addition, we will not have new items launch on Faire for at least 3 months, with the goal being to hold them for 6 months."

Thank you to all the vendors who responded. Your feedback has been invaluable.

Reps, retailers, and manufacturers, please send your thoughts to this article to sandyrubeninfo@gmail.com. We would love to do a follow up article based on your feedback.