Textiles
From Kitchen Table to 200 Stockists: The Story of River Clay Studio
How one small-batch pottery collective turned a side hustle into a global supply chain using LinkFlux.
The Journey
Finding a market in the noise
It started in 2018 in a cramped kitchen in Brighton. Sarah Jenkins and her partner Leo were throwing pots on a converted dining table, trying to fund a move to a proper studio. "We were incredibly talented, but we were invisible," Sarah recalls. "We spent three months cold-emailing boutiques, sending PDFs that never got opened, and waiting for the phone to ring."
The breakthrough came when they discovered LinkFlux. Unlike generic wholesale directories, the platform felt like a curated marketplace for their specific aesthetic. They uploaded their first line sheet—a collection of "Obsidian" matte black ceramics—and within weeks, their inbox was flooded.
"We didn't just get orders; we got partners," Sarah says. "The buyers on LinkFlux understood the value of handmade production. They weren't looking for the cheapest option; they were looking for the best story."
"LinkFlux gave us our first 20 retail accounts in three months. It felt like the universe finally found a way to connect our work with the people who actually get it."
The River Clay Collections
Growth by the Numbers
Scaling production without scaling chaos.
Two years after joining LinkFlux, River Clay Studio has grown from a two-person operation to a team of six artisans. They have moved from a garage to a 2,000-square-foot studio in East London.
The platform's logistics support has been crucial. Sarah explains, "We used to spend hours on the phone with freight forwarders. Now, the shipping calculator on LinkFlux gives us instant quotes, and our buyers in Canada, Australia, and Norway can place orders in their local currency without any friction."
200+
Stockists Worldwide
12k
Annual Orders
85%
Average Reorder Rate
6
Countries
Advice from Sarah
Tips for other makers
Document Everything
When you join a platform, have your MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), production lead times, and shipping policies clearly defined in your profile. It saves you countless hours of back-and-forth.
Show, Don't Just Tell
Your product photography is your storefront. Invest in good lighting and show the imperfections that make handmade goods unique. Buyers can smell authenticity from a photo.
Be Responsive
The fastest way to grow is to reply to inquiries within 24 hours. Set up notifications so you never miss a message from a potential stockist.
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