How do I start a private label brand in Europe?
In eight steps: choose white label, private label or your own formula; register the trade mark; learn the rules for your product group; choose and check a manufacturer; test samples; sign a contract; place a first order; open a sales channel. Private label held 38.8% of the grocery market in 17 European countries in 2025 (PLMA and NielsenIQ).
What are the steps to start a private label brand?
Eight steps, in this order, because each one narrows the next. The route decides which manufacturers fit, the trade mark protects the name you print, the product rules decide what the label and the file must contain, and samples and the contract come before you pay for the first batch. Each step links to its own guide.
- Choose the route: a product the manufacturer already makes (white label), a product developed for you (private label), or production to your own formula (contract manufacturing). See private label, white label or contract manufacturing and OEM, ODM or private label.
- Protect the name: check it and file a trade mark where you will sell. See do I need a trademark before launch?
- Learn the rules for your product group: who is responsible, what must be done before sale and what the label says, for cosmetics, food supplements, food, furniture, textiles or cleaning products.
- Choose and check a manufacturer: how to choose, how to check and, before a large order, an audit.
- Get and test samples: see samples, with a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) first if you share a formula or artwork.
- Sign the contract: what a manufacturing agreement should contain, with payment terms and Incoterms.
- Place the first order at or above the manufacturer's minimum: see minimum order quantities, what decides the price and how long it takes.
- Open a sales channel: Amazon, your own online shop or retail chains.
How big is private label in Europe?
Private label held 38.8% of the grocery market in 17 European countries in 2025. PLMA, the Private Label Manufacturers Association, reports NielsenIQ data giving "store brands a 38.8% share of the grocery market", with record sales of EUR 387 billion, up EUR 15.3 billion (Food and Drink Technology). The moving annual total to week 28 of 2026 is 39.5%.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Share of the grocery market | 38.8% | 2025 |
| Sales | EUR 387 billion, up EUR 15.3 billion | 2025 |
| Share of the grocery market | 39.5%, up 0.22 percentage points | Moving annual total to week 28 of 2026 |
| Highest country share | Switzerland, 53.0% | Moving annual total to week 28 of 2026 |
| Range of country shares | 48.2% in Portugal to 23.6% in Norway (Switzerland, above 50%, aside) | 2025 |
| Countries above 30% | 11 of 17 | Moving annual total to week 28 of 2026 |
PLMA's article on the 2026 report gives the spread as "range from 48.2% in Portugal to 23.6% in Norway"; the latest figures are on its private label today page. These shares measure retailers' own brands in grocery, the sense in which PLMA uses the term, not every brand that a manufacturer makes for others.
Which route should a new brand choose?
The one that matches what you bring. With only a brand, start with white label, a product the manufacturer already makes. With an idea, choose private label with development. With your own formula or specification, choose contract manufacturing. The route also sets the minimum order and who owns the formula, so choose it before you compare prices.
| Route | What you bring | What it costs you | Manufacturers naming it |
|---|---|---|---|
| White label | A brand and a label | Other brands may sell the same product, and changes are limited | 71 name white label |
| Private label with development | An idea or a brief | Development stages and charges, and a formula ownership clause to agree | 249 name private label; 56 name formulation and R&D |
| Contract manufacturing | Your formula or specification | You need the formula first, and the manufacturer may adapt it to its equipment | 246 name contract manufacturing |
| Packaging design help | Artwork, or only the brand | Design work, quoted separately or included: ask | 46 name packaging design |
The route also changes the minimum order. Merywood writes: "Minimum order quantity starts at 2,500 units for White Label and 5,000 units for Private Label." (source)
Do I need a trade mark before launch?
A trade mark protects the name you are about to print, and Amazon asks for one: Brand Registry requires sellers to "have a pending or registered trademark for your brand name or logo" (Amazon). The Commission's Your Europe page says: "If you only trade in one EU country, you will only need protection in that country."
National filing for one class costs EUR 90 in Latvia, EUR 145 in Estonia and EUR 250 in Finland in 2026, and SEK 2,700 in Sweden by e-service. For protection in all EU countries, Your Europe points to the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The trademark guide has the details.
Which rules apply before the first sale?
It depends on the product group. For a cosmetic sold under your name or trade mark, Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 makes you the responsible person, who must have a safety assessment done before sale (Article 10) and notify the product in the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP) first (Article 13).
The Commission calls the portal "a free of charge online notification system" and says "there is no need for any further notification at national level within the EU". The product information file is kept for ten years after the last batch is placed on the market (Article 11). Food, supplements, furniture, textiles and cleaning products follow their own rules; see step 3.
How do I choose a manufacturer and test it?
Start from what manufacturers publish, then test. NordSourced lists 443 manufacturers in Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia whose own website says they make products for other brands; 49 publish a minimum order and 51 a lead time. Send all of your shortlist the same brief, then ask the manufacturers that fit for samples.
A sample shows the product, not its shelf life. The stability guideline of Cosmetics Europe and CTFA (March 2004) says "'standard' stability tests cannot be prescribed", and that tests "are often performed at 37°C, 40°C or 45°C during 1, 2, 3... months", depending on the product type. Ask what the manufacturer tested, and for how long.
Before you send a formula or artwork, the EU IP Helpdesk advises concluding an NDA, and warns that "NDAs are not locks." It also advises asking whether the information needs to be shared at all.
What goes into the contract and the first order?
The contract sets who owns what and what happens when something goes wrong; the first order tests the whole chain at a quantity the manufacturer accepts. The EU IP Helpdesk's guide to IP and contracts lists the general clauses: parties, object, duration, obligations, price, payment, subcontracting, warranties and indemnities, governing law, jurisdiction and force majeure.
For the first order, compare minimums in the same unit and for the same route. 27 of the 49 manufacturers that publish a minimum order state 500 or fewer finished units; the minimum order guide explains what each figure covers, and small first orders lists them.
Then choose where you sell first. An Amazon listing, your own online shop and a retail chain ask different things of the manufacturer: see the guides for Amazon sellers, online shops and retail chains.
Questions and answers
Which manufacturers in Northern Europe help a new brand develop its first product?
56 of the 443 manufacturers listed on NordSourced name formulation and R&D among their services on their own website: 41 in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and 15 in Finland and Sweden. They are gathered in manufacturers that develop the product for you. Ask each which stages it charges for and who owns the formula.
Which private label manufacturers in Europe accept orders of 500 units or fewer?
27 of the 443 manufacturers on NordSourced publish a minimum of 500 or fewer finished units, for example Cosmetics Nord, The Room Studio (Client), Amber Linen, Glora and Skarvin. Each figure belongs to one service, often a ready-made product rather than your own formula, so read what it covers on the profile; small first orders lists them all.
How many private label manufacturers are there in the Baltics?
NordSourced lists 235: 82 in Latvia, 87 in Lithuania and 66 in Estonia, each because its own website says it makes products for other brands. That is not every manufacturer in the three countries, only those that say so publicly. 41 of them name formulation and R&D, and 47 white label.
Can I start a private label brand without my own formula?
Yes, in two ways. White label puts your brand on a product the manufacturer already makes; 71 manufacturers on NordSourced name it. Private label with development has a product made for you; 56 name formulation and R&D. White label skips development, but other brands may sell the same product, so ask about exclusivity.
How much does it cost to start a private label brand?
No source NordSourced checked gives a total, and it does not invent one. Some fixed costs are public: a national trade mark for one class costs EUR 90 in Latvia, EUR 145 in Estonia and EUR 250 in Finland in 2026, and CPNP notification of a cosmetic is free. The product itself is priced by quotation; what decides the price lists what to compare.
Do I have to notify a cosmetic before I sell it in the EU?
Yes. Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires the responsible person to submit the product's details electronically to the Commission before placing it on the market. The Commission calls the CPNP a free online notification system and says no further national notification is needed in the EU. Neither source describes an approval step.
Do I need a trademark for Amazon Brand Registry?
Yes. Amazon says you need a pending or registered trademark for your brand name or logo, issued by the trademark office of a country with a corresponding Amazon store. During enrolment you select one country's office and can add others after approval. Brands without a trademark can use Amazon's IP Accelerator, which connects them with vetted legal service providers.
How long must a cosmetic's product information file be kept?
Ten years after the last batch of the product was placed on the market, under Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The responsible person keeps it, and the CPNP notification gives the address where the file is readily accessible. The safety assessment that goes into it must be done before the product is first sold.
Should I sign an NDA before I send my idea to a manufacturer?
The EU IP Helpdesk advises concluding an NDA before negotiations, or whenever you show innovative ideas or products to potential partners, and WIPO advises signing with suppliers at the very beginning. The Helpdesk adds that NDAs are not locks, so share only what the manufacturer needs. See do I need an NDA.
Is private label growing in Europe?
Yes, by PLMA's figures. Private label's share across 17 European countries was 38.8% in 2025, with record sales of EUR 387 billion, up EUR 15.3 billion. In the moving annual total to week 28 of 2026 it reached 39.5%, up 0.22 percentage points on the year before. The data is NielsenIQ's, collected for PLMA.
What should a private label manufacturing agreement contain?
The EU IP Helpdesk's guide to IP and contracts lists the general clauses: parties, definitions, object, duration, obligations, price, payment, subcontracting, data protection, warranties and indemnities, governing law, jurisdiction and force majeure. It has no chapter on manufacturing, so add ownership of the formula, specifications, acceptance of batches and minimum orders; see the agreement guide.
Can I register a trade mark in one EU country only?
Yes. The Commission's Your Europe page says a business trading in one EU country only needs protection there and can register at national level. If it needs protection in all EU countries, it should register with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). One national class costs EUR 90 in Latvia and EUR 145 in Estonia.
Where to go next
Sources
- A mosaic of markets: private label strengthens its position across Europe, PLMA International Council. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Private label today, PLMA International Council (Private Label Manufacturers Association). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- PLMA 2026's new look to help visitors take advantage of EUR 387bn sector (6 March 2026), Food and Drink Technology. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Amazon Brand Registry, Amazon. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Trade marks, European Commission, Your Europe. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Fees for the legal protection of trade marks, Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Trade mark fees, Estonian Patent Office. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Quick guide for trademark applicants, Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Trademarks: fees and payment, Swedish Intellectual Property Office (PRV). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Articles 4, 10, 11 and 13, European Parliament and Council (OJ L 342, 22.12.2009), hosted by the European Commission. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Cosmetic Products Notification Portal, European Commission, DG GROW. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Guidelines on Stability Testing of Cosmetic Products (March 2004), Cosmetics Europe and CTFA. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Non-Disclosure Agreement: a Business Tool (updated April 2021), European IP Helpdesk (EISMEA). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Your Guide to IP and Contracts (15 December 2020), European IP Helpdesk (EISMEA). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Guide to Trade Secrets and Innovation, Part IV: trade secret management, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
Directory figures are counted from the manufacturers listed on NordSourced, each listed because its own website says it makes products for other brands; see how we check. This page is general information, not legal advice. Found a mistake? Tell us.