Bare Kind's journey from a nascent eco-friendly sock company to a £700,000 annual revenue business with 1,000 retailers offers critical lessons for ecommerce operators. This episode details how they leveraged Faire as a primary B2B growth engine while strategically moving away from less effective traditional trade shows, providing a blueprint for scaling wholesale operations and converting first-time buyers into repeat customers.
Key takeaways
Brands frequently underperform on Faire by not optimizing their profiles and product listings; dedicate resources to creating compelling product narratives and professional imagery to stand out.
Traditional trade shows are declining in efficacy for B2B sales; redirect marketing spend and efforts towards digital wholesale platforms like Faire for better ROI and broader reach.
Cultivate repeat wholesale orders by focusing on exceptional customer service and consistent product quality, mirroring DTC retention strategies in a B2B context.
SEO is as vital for B2B as it is for DTC; optimize your B2B platform listings and any wholesale portals with relevant keywords to attract and convert retail partners.
Actively seek and be responsive to niche markets; Bare Kind found a significant customer base in an unexpected niche, demonstrating the value of diversified customer acquisition.
Andrew Kemp is the MD at Bare Kind, the animal saving bamboo sock company. Founded in 2017 and selling via Shopify and Faire they now do £700,000 a year, and sell into a 1,000 retailers. Hit PLAY to hear: How Bare Kind grew from 0 to 1,000 retailers in just 2 years Why trade shows are fading—and what works better for B2B sales The #1 mistake brands make on Faire (and how to fix it) A surprising niche that became Bare Kind’s biggest customer base The secret to turning first-time buyers into repeat customers Why SEO matters just as much for B2B as it does for DTC Key timestamps to dive straight in: [03:56] Lucy’s eco-friendly business success. [06:46] B2B growth via venture-funded platform. [09:43] Challenges of switching sales strategies. [13:48] Faire dominates B2B eCommerce. [18:12] Spring Fair attendance decline factors. [21:34] Decline in year two trade shows. [24:24] Listen to Andrew’s Top Tips! Sign Up Now to Faire Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/530..This podcast uses the following third-party services
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about b2b wholesale strategy?
Brands frequently underperform on Faire by not optimizing their profiles and product listings; dedicate resources to creating compelling product narratives and professional imagery to stand out.
What does this episode say about brand scaling?
Traditional trade shows are declining in efficacy for B2B sales; redirect marketing spend and efforts towards digital wholesale platforms like Faire for better ROI and broader reach.
What does this episode say about customer acquisition & retention?
Cultivate repeat wholesale orders by focusing on exceptional customer service and consistent product quality, mirroring DTC retention strategies in a B2B context.
What does this episode say about digital marketplace optimization?
SEO is as vital for B2B as it is for DTC; optimize your B2B platform listings and any wholesale portals with relevant keywords to attract and convert retail partners.
What does this episode say about b2b wholesale strategy?
Actively seek and be responsive to niche markets; Bare Kind found a significant customer base in an unexpected niche, demonstrating the value of diversified customer acquisition.
