What Faire’s New Terms Actually Mean
What Has Actually Changed on Faire (and How I’m Adjusting)
Over the past few months, Faire has made a series of updates that, on their own, might not have felt like a big deal. A little tweak here, a new limit there, and a few backend changes. But taken together, they are starting to shift how growth on the platform actually works.
I have been watching this closely across my clients and, more importantly, adjusting how I approach strategy as these changes take effect. So I wanted to share a clearer perspective on what is actually changing, and what I think it means if you are trying to grow on Faire right now.
Outreach is no longer the lever it used to be
One of the more noticeable shifts has been around email limits and outreach controls. There is now less room to rely on frequent outbound messaging to drive attention, especially with new retailers. This has been building for a while, but it is now much more defined.
What I am seeing in practice:
Broad outreach is performing worse
Repeated follow-ups are less effective
Retailers are more selective in what they engage with
So while outreach is still part of the picture, it is not the engine of growth in the same way it may have been in the past. What this really highlights is that activity alone is not enough and now has to be supported by a much stronger foundation.
Your storefront is doing more of the work
As outreach becomes more limited, more pressure naturally shifts to what happens when a retailer actually lands on your page. And as we know, visitor traffic is getting harder and harder with Faire's current brand saturation levels!
Many brands are still:
unclear in how they present what they sell
overcomplicated in their assortment
not making it easy for a retailer to quickly understand what to order
That might have been easier to work around before but these days with all the noice out there if a retailer clicks through and does not immediately get it, there are fewer chances to pull them back in. At a high level, this comes down to two things: how much a retailer trusts what they are seeing, and how easy it is for them to make a buying decision once they are there.
Faire is clearly prioritizing the retailer experience
When you step back, all of these changes point in the same direction - Faire is optimizing for the retailer experience.
They want retailers to:
discover more relevant brands
feel confident placing orders
not be overwhelmed with constant outreach
And that naturally means the platform will reward brands that:
convert well
feel clear and cohesive
make buying easy
Not necessarily the ones putting in the most activity. When those pieces are in place, and you start to get on a role the platform continues to reward that activity.
Systems are starting to matter more than effort
Another shift I have been leaning into is building simple, consistent systems rather than relying on bursts of activity.
That includes:
more thoughtful outreach timing
better use of automations
clearer seasonal structure around launches and follow-up
The goal is not to do more but rather create something that works consistently without needing constant attention.
This is where activity becomes the most effective, when it is built on top of something that is already working.
How I am adjusting
Across the brands I am working with, the shift has been fairly consistent. We've put more focus on the quality of our outreach and the clarity of how our products and value is shared.
More specifically:
tightening product assortments
leading with a smaller number of strong, proven SKUs
being much more intentional about who we are reaching out to
spending more time on how the brand shows up, not just how often
While none of this is particularly complicated, it does require a different way of thinking about growth and some reflection on making sure you foundations are the the trongest place they can be in.
Final Thought
If you have been feeling like Faire has become harder over the past few months, you are not just imagining it, it has been changing.
And in many ways, it is moving in a direction that rewards brands that are clear, well-positioned, and easy to buy from.
Here to help!
If you are looking at your Faire shop and thinking something is not quite clicking, this is exactly what I plan to dive deep into during my new live group Faire program.
We will work through how to strengthen the foundation of your store, from how you are showing up to how your assortment is structured, so that your growth feels much more consistent and intentional.
You can learn more and join here.
Feel free to also reach out hello@rachelralston.co anytime with questions!
-Rachel x