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Almost 27 years ago, Clare Harris quit her IBM corporate job to sell paper napkins. Not just any napkins—the kind that transform a Tuesday dinner into a night worth remembering. The kind that make people smile in the checkout line.
Today, her kitchen-table startup Talking Tables moves £25 million in revenue annually, selling party supplies in 60 countries. It’s expanded its line to include everything a host might need, from cake toppers to serveware to party games. Through it all, it’s managed to keep the same personal touch that made retailers fall in love with it in the first place.
“Talking Tables is very much about products that bring people together and, as the name says, get the table talking,” says Clare, who wanted anyone to be able to craft tablescapes that wowed and inspired.
The numbers tell the real story. Since joining Faire in 2019, Talking Tables’ revenue with US independents has quadrupled. It onboards 50 new retailers monthly. During a recent Faire Market event, it added 123 new US customers—more than double the previous year.
But scale without soul is just spreadsheets. Talking Tables figured out how to combine efficiency with the kind of service that makes retailers feel valued.
The B Corp that said no to plastic and yes to people
As one of the first B Corps in its category, Talking Tables made a radical decision: It eliminated plastic from 98% of its latest collection. No greenwashing, just the painstaking work that comes with systematic change.
“Sustainability is second nature to us,” Clare says simply. “We wouldn’t use plastic. We think about the packaging, whether we can use recycled material.”
They audit their factories. They obsess over the materials they pick. In their UK office, they recycle whenever possible. It’s not performative; it’s who they are.
This authenticity extends to how the company handles its explosive Faire growth. Every new customer gets an immediate personal message from Naz Khan, who manages the US-based accounts. Not an auto-response, but an actual human checking in.
“Our Faire customers are getting to know me, and I’m getting to know them,” Naz explains. “I think it’s important to build those relationships because it shows trust.”
The team segments customers into tiers, ensuring everyone gets appropriate attention. They use Faire’s messaging platform religiously, following up on abandoned carts with what Clare calls “the Naz treatment”: that personal touch that turns a transaction into a relationship.
“Human relationships will always be very important to help people understand the product, maybe know about new ranges,” Clare says. “There’s probably evidence that a human will drive a bigger order. So if we can do the convenience of Faire with a bit of the Naz treatment, then you get the best of both worlds.”
Getting discovered by customers they didn’t know existed
Before Faire, Talking Tables’ US expansion followed predictable paths: grocers, party stores, gift shops. The usual suspects for a tableware brand. Then something shifted.
“We’re finding more niche stores coming to us,” Naz says. “It could be anything from a restaurant to an art gallery, outside of what we would normally sell to. We’re seeing a wider spectrum of stores.”
When you make discovery easier, you expand your definition of who your customer can be. That art gallery in SoHo? Maybe it needs napkins for opening night receptions. The boutique restaurant in Austin? It might want special touches for its chef’s table experiences.
All of this led to a quadrupling of its growth in the US since joining Faire five years ago. Also, its TopShop status on Faire—complete with a 4.8 rating and minimal cancellations—has created a powerful trust signal.
“When people see the TopShop badge, it shows that we are a reliable brand,” Naz says. “It gives them confidence to buy with us.”
Talking Tables has doubled down on accessibility by adding Faire Direct to its website. The widget gives retailers an instant pathway to its catalog, and Naz uses the links strategically—sending them to prospects every few weeks, creating accounts for buyers at trade shows, even using them to close deals on the spot.
“We’re finding we’re getting high-quality customers that are going directly to us,” he says. It’s another tool in the relationship-building arsenal: meet retailers wherever they’re ready to buy.
Saving time and spending time where it matters
The operational transformation tells its own story. Talking Tables switched from what it describes as a “clunky” platform to Faire’s integrated ecosystem.
“The Shopify integration with Faire is fantastic,” says Kieran Clark, operations lead. “The process is very efficient for us now. It takes us next to no time to actually process an order through our system to the warehouse.”
And when it comes to shipping, it finds the rates consistently beat its previous options. Pre-orders, which it only started exploring this year, have revolutionized how retailers plan ahead. Customers can secure Christmas inventory in summer, spreading cash flow and ensuring availability.
But it’s Faire Market where it sees the most dramatic impact, gaining 123 new customers at the latest Market. It’s gotten strategic about Market preparation. It starts campaigns a month early, sending weekly touches through multiple channels, including newsletters.
“It’s incredibly valuable,” Naz says. “Bringing all these new customers into the funnel and having Faire do that is great.”
It’s even mastered the art of blending digital and physical. During a recent trade show in Atlanta, it invited digital prospects to meet in person. Many filled their Faire carts, met the team, then completed orders. This efficiency enables more human connection, not less. Every minute saved on order processing is a minute Naz can spend building relationships.
Keeping a seat at the table
Through Talking Tables’ journey, the team never forgot they were just people selling to people. They’ve accelerated US revenue while maintaining their B Corp values. They’ve found customers in florists and bakeries, not just gift stores. They’ve streamlined operations while deepening personal connections.
“These are people who can be with us for 20 years. It’s a very genuine relationship because it’s their passion, their curation,” Clare says about their retailers. “We enjoy the challenge of meeting their requirements, not letting them down.”
For other enterprise brands, Talking Tables offers a blueprint. It uses technology to do more of what it’s always done well. Every automated process frees up time for another phone call, another personal note, another relationship that lasts decades.
And for a company that started with one woman’s belief that all dinners deserve to feel special?
It’s proof that when you stay true to what matters, growth follows. And that sometimes, the best business strategy is simply getting the table talking.
