Doubling Down on Faire: Bare Kind’s Post-Spring Fair Strategy with Andrew Kemp (episode 530)
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.
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Dive 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!
B2B eCommerce is the Future
Traditional trade shows are becoming less effective. Bare Kind saw a major drop in foot traffic and sales at Spring Fair compared to the previous year. In contrast, their B2B eCommerce sales continued to grow. Platforms like Faire offer a scalable way to reach retailers without the high costs of in-person events. Brands should invest in digital wholesale strategies instead of relying on outdated methods.
SEO Optimisation Matters for B2B Sales
Simply listing products on a marketplace isn’t enough. Andrew emphasized that brands must optimise their listings for SEO to attract retailers. Think of Faire like Google—retailers search for products, and the best-optimised listings get seen first. Use clear, keyword-rich descriptions to make your products easy to find. A well-optimised listing can drive sales without extra ad spend.
Direct Outreach is Essential
B2B eCommerce is not a “set it and forget it” model. Bare Kind actively reaches out to potential retailers instead of waiting for orders to come in. They identify niche markets, like podiatrists, and pitch their socks directly. This proactive approach led them to acquire 300 new retailers in just a few days. A targeted outreach strategy can drive massive growth.
Nurturing Customer Relationships Increases Sales
Once you gain a retailer, your work isn’t done. Bare Kind focuses on bringing customers back with regular communication. They use follow-up emails, messages through Faire, and personal outreach to keep relationships strong. Repeat orders are key to long-term success in B2B sales. Building trust leads to loyal customers who keep buying.
Test Strategies and Cut What Doesn’t Work
Not every sales channel will work for every brand. Bare Kind experimented with multiple platforms before finding success on Faire. They quickly dropped underperforming strategies to focus on what worked. Andrew advises brands to set clear deadlines for testing new approaches. If something isn’t driving results, move on and invest where you see real growth.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Focus on demand capture over demand generation for B2B sales. Optimise SEO on platforms like FAIR and actively put in the work. Many brands see success when they fully leverage these marketplaces.
Tool Top Tip
Carbon Top Tip
- Optimise packaging to reduce wasted space. Bare Kind switched to Royal Mail Large Letter 48, which cut down on shipping air, reduced carbon emissions, and saved money. Working with logistics experts helped them find the perfect packaging solution, proving that small changes can have a big impact.
Interview links
- Check out Bare Kind
- Andrew on LinkedIn
- Listen to Lucy’s Bare Kind episodes on getting your first 400 wholesale accounts and their blueprint for B Corp Certification
Sign Up Now to Faire
Related Episodes
- How to grow a Shopify Yoga brand including Wholesale with Valka Yoga’s Danny Garg (episode 467)
- gloveglu’s Winning Strategy in Mastering Wholesale, D2C, and Marketplaces + Scaling to 8 Figures (episode 486)
- How WORN Built a Sustainable Brand & Performance Product that Lasts with Bryan Marville (episode 503)
- Mastering Retail: Wholesale Strategies for Brand Success with Wizz Selvey (episode 506)
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