Wayfair, formerly CSN Stores, consolidated all of their online properties after a massive investment round and came back with their new brand, a massive website update, and a push into proper affiliate management.

Wayfair is, by no means, a little fish in the big pond. Their brand and ecommerce reach has delivered them over 2 million visitors a day and earning them over $500 million in revenue in 2011. If you’re seeking an alternative to Buy.com or Amazon.com, take a look into what Wayfair has to offer …

Wayfair: The Overview

With nearly 12 million orders placed since 2002, Wayfair has exploded in growth since their humble beginnings. As CSN Stores, the brand went after high-profile, keyword-specific domains which allowed it to take a strong hold on each niche. After some time, the websites were consolidated into what is now Wayfair.com.

As an affiliate, there have been some gripes because of the massive shift away from niche markets by placing everything under one roof but the company did so at a perfect time while keyword domains have begun to get hammered in search rankings.

The affiliate program is worthwhile in comparison to other large online retailers.

Here are the stats (via ShareASale):

• 10% commissions


• 60 day referral period

The bonuses for the program include:

• Hundreds of categories for products


• Over 1 million products available via data feeds


• Top-notch customer service


• A transparent, helpful team of in-house affiliate managers

Membership into the affiliate program goes under manual review and you will know, generally, within 24 hours if you’ve been accepted. The decision process is typical and relies on their review of your website, design, language, traffic, and other factors though you’re free to re-apply in the future after making the necessary tweaks.

Wayfair: In Review

Wayfair (formerly CSN Stores) may not be the first name that pops into your head when you’re shopping online but the numbers show that they understand business.

The Good

• Dedicated in-house management that’s very friendly


• Over 1 million products (including data feeds)


• 10% commissions with 60 day cookie

The Bad

• Brand isn’t as recognized


• The new brand removed their successful niche sites into one massive site


• Many affiliates gave a thumbs down on the complexity of the data feed

The Bottom Line

It’s no Amazon but we believe Wayfair has done an amazing job at offering affiliate marketers a great deal of opportunity through their platform.

Our Verdict: 4 out of 5

The use of ShareASale is perfect for this type of ecommerce portal that offers a truly dizzying amount of sales opportunities. Their relationship with top-tier brands and the affiliates that promote their products sets a great standard for the industry.