Coastwise Soap Co.: Wholesale to Retail, Without Losing the Wholesale
The seller
Coastwise Soap Co. is a small-batch soap maker owned by Elena, based in Wilmington. She'd sold wholesale to regional gift shops for four years.
The challenge
Wholesale margins were thin, and one big account had started demanding exclusivity in the region. She wanted a direct-to-consumer channel without cannibalizing existing wholesale relationships.
What changed
Elena launched a Suliit storefront focused on a curated retail-only lineup — gift sets, seasonal scents, and a few exclusive pours. The wholesale line stayed intact and shipped from the same small production kitchen.
The result
Direct sales grew to about $4,200/month within the first year, without any noticeable impact on wholesale volume. Wholesale accounts, in fact, became easier to service because the direct storefront absorbed one-off individual buyers who used to email through the wholesale portal.
In her words
"The retail line pays for the summer slow months. The wholesale line pays the rent. Both need to exist and they can't be the same catalog."
These case studies are drawn from real sellers on Suliit. Names or details may be adjusted at seller request; numbers are approximate.