How to find wholesale buyers for your products
The fastest way to find wholesale buyers is to combine a presence on a wholesale marketplace like Faire with personalized outreach to a verified list of retail buyers. The five proven channels are: (1) wholesale marketplaces, (2) direct email and DM outreach, (3) trade shows, (4) sales reps and agencies, and (5) referrals. Below is how each works, what it costs, and the fastest option for most brands.
1. Wholesale marketplaces (Faire, and others)
Marketplaces are where most independent retailers actively shop for new brands. Faire is the dominant channel in the US for gift, home, stationery, beauty, and specialty categories. Listing your catalog gets you discovered by buyers already in a buying mindset, with net-60 terms and free returns lowering their risk. The catch: with hundreds of thousands of brands, getting found organically is hard, so brands that win combine a marketplace listing with active outreach (below).
2. Direct outreach (email and DMs): the highest-leverage channel
Reaching out directly to retailers that fit your product is the most controllable way to find buyers. Two motions matter: contacting brand-new retailers who have never bought from you, and re-engaging past customers who have gone quiet. The hard parts are building an accurate buyer list, writing a personalized message for each store, and sending at volume without hurting your reputation. This is exactly what automated outreach tools solve.
wholesaleiq runs this outreach for you. Its AI email agent finds new wholesale buyers from a database of 2 million-plus verified retailers matched to your category, and its DM agent re-engages your past Faire customers. Every message is AI-written and human-reviewed, sent for you, and points buyers to your Faire link so the order is credited to you. You set the offer; you only fulfill the orders that come in.
3. Trade shows
In-person shows (NY NOW, Atlanta Market, regional gift shows) put you in front of serious buyers and build relationships fast. They are also expensive and infrequent, so most brands use them to complement, not replace, year-round outreach.
4. Wholesale sales reps and agencies
Reps and showroom agencies sell your line into their existing retail relationships, usually for 10-15% commission on the sales they drive. They can be valuable for certain categories, but they own the customer relationship and the cost compounds as you grow. Many brands now replace or supplement reps with their own automated outreach, which costs far less per order and keeps the relationships with the brand. See our guide on wholesale sales rep alternatives.
5. Referrals and existing customers
Your current stockists are your best source of new ones. Ask for introductions, and systematically re-engage past buyers before chasing cold ones, since a past customer is far likelier to reorder than a stranger is to place a first order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to find wholesale buyers?
Automated, personalized outreach to a verified buyer list, combined with a Faire presence. Tools like WholesaleIQ contact new wholesale buyers matched to your category for you, so you skip list-building and manual emailing.
Where do retailers look for new wholesale brands?
Mostly on wholesale marketplaces like Faire, at trade shows, through brand outreach, via sales reps, and through referrals. Faire is the dominant online channel for US independent retail.
Do I need a wholesale sales rep to find buyers?
No. Reps can help but take 10-15% commission and own the relationships. Many brands now find buyers themselves through Faire plus automated outreach, at far lower cost.
WholesaleIQ is an AI sales team for brands selling wholesale on Faire. Learn more or read our FAQ.