How does an online shop work with a European private label manufacturer?
The manufacturer makes the product under your brand; the shop carries two duties. Above EUR 10,000 a year of sales to consumers in other EU countries, VAT is due in the customer's country, which an EU-established shop can declare through the One-Stop Shop. Since December 2024 the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) asks for manufacturer and safety details on listings.
What does an online shop need from a private label manufacturer?
A product under your brand in quantities the shop can sell, and the facts its listings must show. Shopify's GPSR page lists a product identifier, the manufacturer's name or trademark, a physical address and an electronic contact. A first order you can afford, a ready-made range to start from and reorders on a known lead time matter as much.
- A small first order: 49 of the 443 manufacturers listed on NordSourced publish a minimum order, and 19 of them state 100 finished units or fewer.
- A ready-made range under your label: 16 describe one in their own words on their website.
- A lead time for reorders: 51 publish a lead time, and 5 give a separate one for repeat orders.
- The label details the shop must repeat online: the manufacturer's name and address, the product identifier and the warnings.
When does an online shop charge its customer's VAT instead of its own?
When its sales to consumers in other EU countries pass EUR 10,000 a year. The Commission's One-Stop Shop portal says home value added tax (VAT) rules apply while "the total sum of these supplies does not exceed EUR 10 000 (without VAT) in the current and the preceding calendar year". Above that, VAT is due in the customer's member state.
The sum counts cross-border sales of goods to consumers and business-to-consumer services together. The portal adds: "As from 1 July 2021, this threshold also covers intra-Community distance sales of goods." Above the limit a shop established in the EU can declare that VAT through the One-Stop Shop (OSS) Union scheme, registering in one member state only.
| Situation | What the portal says |
|---|---|
| Cross-border sales to consumers up to EUR 10,000 without VAT, in the current and the preceding calendar year | The supplier's home VAT rules apply |
| Above EUR 10,000 | VAT is due in the customer's member state |
| Registering for the Union scheme | A seller "is only required to register in one single Member State, the Member State of identification" |
| Shop established in more than one EU country | It cannot use the EUR 10,000 threshold |
| Shop established outside the EU | The Union scheme is for taxable persons established in the EU; check the portal for your own case |
This is what the Commission's page says, not advice for a particular shop; the OSS portal and the tax authority of the shop's own country are the places to check a case.
What does the General Product Safety Regulation ask of an online shop?
To show the product's safety facts where it is sold. Shopify's help page puts the date plainly: "The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a European Union (EU) law that came into effect in December 2024." An Amazon staff post gives the day: 13 December 2024. Shopify then lists what a merchant must show.
- A product identifier.
- The manufacturer's name, trade name or trademark, a physical address and an electronic contact.
- The EU responsible person and their contact details, if the manufacturer is not located in the EU.
- Warnings and safety information, in each country's language where they are required.
- Reporting of accidents and cooperation with recalls.
For the responsible person role Shopify writes that "Shopify does not currently offer such services directly"; third-party apps do. For warnings it says: "For legally-required product warnings specifically, use the Disclosures product metafield and metaobject entries."
What changes when the manufacturer is based in the Baltics or the Nordics?
The manufacturer is in the EU. Shopify's list adds an EU responsible person only "if the manufacturer is not located in the European Union", and a manufacturer based in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland or Sweden is located in it. Whether your brand counts as the manufacturer on the label is a separate question, answered product by product.
For cosmetics the answer is in Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: "the distributor shall be the responsible person where he places a cosmetic product on the market under his name or trade mark". For the general case, see Is my brand legally the manufacturer?.
The goods also travel inside the EU. What the manufacturer's invoice from another EU country means for VAT is in Do I pay customs or VAT when I buy from another EU country?. A shop outside the EU imports the goods under its own country's rules: see the guides for the UK and the US.
Should a shop start with a ready-made product or its own formula?
Your product decides. Start ready-made when speed and a small first order matter more than a product nobody else sells; develop your own formula when the product itself is the reason customers buy. Ready-made, often called white label, means the manufacturer's existing formula or design under your brand, so other shops may sell the same product under theirs.
Swedish Can Factory puts the difference in two sentences on its website: "White label is our standard recipes under your brand. Private label is a beverage we develop exclusively for you."
Each option has a cost. A ready-made product costs you the manufacturer's minimum and lead time for that product. Your own formula adds development and samples before the first batch. Where a manufacturer publishes both minimums, compare them. Merywood writes on its website: "Minimum order quantity starts at 2,500 units for White Label and 5,000 units for Private Label." ERA Scientifico writes on its website: "Our MOQ for ready-made (white label) products starts at just 500 bottles – ideal for fast and flexible launches."
16 manufacturers listed on NordSourced describe a ready-made range under your label in their own words. They are below in alphabetical order, not ranked.
| Manufacturer | Country | Product groups | In its own words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allreasons | Latvia | Food & beverages | “We offer both white-label solutions (our existing recipes in your packaging) and full private-label development with custom formulations and branded packaging.” source |
| BF-ESSE | Latvia | Food supplements | “Private Label products are developed to your exact technical specifications. White Label products include one of our many available formulas, which is then launched under your distinct brand identity.” source |
| byKristelS | Estonia | Cosmetics, Other | “White Label - teie bränd, meie toode” source |
| Chocolette Confectionary | Latvia | Food & beverages | “We provide ready to launch chocolate products, adapted to your needs.” source |
| Cosmia Nordic | Finland | Cosmetics | “Voit valita tuotteet valmiista White Label -katalogistamme tai kehitämme uniikit tuotteet Your Styling Lab -palvelussamme.” source |
| Cosmoway | Lithuania | Cosmetics | “White Label Cosmetics Your Brand. Our formulas. Choose from a wide range of pre-developed formulas.” source |
| GraSole | Lithuania | Food supplements | “Standartizuoti sprendimai White Label Bazinius, populiariausius rinkos produktus, paruoštus greitam ženklinimui.” source |
| Made Group | Lithuania | Food supplements | “Whether you need contract manufacturing for an existing formula, a private label launch from our library of 100+ ready formulas, or full custom formulation with EU regulatory support — Made Group is one manufacturing …” source |
| Make My Products | Sweden | Furniture & interior | “Genom färdigutvecklade white label‑lösningar kan du snabbt lansera produkter utan långa ledtider, samtidigt som vi anpassar doft, etikett och helhetsuttryck efter ditt varumärke.” source |
| Millmax | Latvia | Food supplements, Cosmetics | “Millmax offers ready-to-sell private label supplements or products in white label format, as well as custom formula development, allowing entrepreneurs, online stores, fitness companies, clinics, and distributors to …” source |
| Miss Lolita lingerie | Latvia | Apparel | “As your private label swimwear and lingerie manufacturer, we offer end-to-end services: custom product development, bulk production, ready-to-brand collections .” source |
| MUSHEEZ | Estonia | Food supplements | “Launch or extend your own mushroom range with established white-label products or more customised private-label options, low MOQs and practical support from people who work with these ingredients every day.” source |
| Pharma Manufacture (Client) | Latvia | Food supplements | “We make tablets, capsules, softgels, effervescent tablets, powder sachets, liquid forms and sports nutrition powders under your own brand, from a catalogue of 350 ready-made formulas or a formula developed for you.” source |
| Propack Powder and Formula | Lithuania | Food supplements | “We provide flexibility for businesses at different stages. For that reson we differentiate services between white label (pre-formulated, ready-to-market products) and private label (fully customized, exclusive offerings)” source |
| PURUS.PET | Latvia | Pet | “Launch quickly with proven pet care formulations manufactured under your own brand — minimizing development time and investment.” source |
| Swedish Can Factory | Sweden | Beverages | “Yes, both. White label is our standard recipes under your brand. Private label is a beverage we develop exclusively for you. We handle everything from recipe to labeling and delivery.” source |
The three terms are compared in private label, white label and contract manufacturing.
Which manufacturers take a first order of 100 units or fewer?
19 manufacturers listed on NordSourced state a minimum order of 100 finished units or fewer on their own website. They are below in alphabetical order, not ranked. A quantity counts per product, colour or size where the manufacturer says so, so read what it covers on the profile before you compare.
| Manufacturer | Country | Product groups | Published minimum order | Published lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allreasons | Latvia | Food & beverages | 100 units | 3–5 weeks |
| Amber Linen | Lithuania | Apparel | 5 pieces | 2–6 weeks |
| Aukmergės baldai | Lithuania | Furniture & interior | 20 pieces | 6–8 weeks |
| Comco | Lithuania | Home textiles | 50 units | Not published |
| Cosmetics Nord | Latvia | Cosmetics | 1 unit | Not published |
| Glora | Latvia | Other | 5 pieces | Not published |
| HYPERPHARM (Client) | Estonia | Food supplements | 100 units (ready-made formula) | from 2 weeks |
| Lāma | Latvia | Furniture & interior | 30 pieces | Not published |
| Make My Products | Sweden | Furniture & interior | 100 pieces | about 10 weeks |
| Miss Lolita lingerie | Latvia | Apparel | 100 units | 4-6 weeks |
| Molm | Latvia | Furniture & interior | 50 units | Not published |
| MUSHEEZ | Estonia | Food supplements | 48 bottles (100ml liquid extracts) | 2–8 weeks |
| Owncollection | Sweden | Cosmetics | 100 pieces | Not published |
| PURUS.PET | Latvia | Pet | 100 units | 4 weeks |
| Skarvin | Estonia | Furniture & interior | 10 sets | 10-15 working days (sample batch) + 25-40 working days (main batch), depending on batch size and finish |
| The Room Studio (Client) | Latvia | Furniture & interior | 1 piece | from 1 week |
| TheLAB | Lithuania | Cosmetics | 100 units | Not published |
| Unique Linen | Lithuania | Home textiles | 10 pieces | Not published |
| Wings2fashion | Estonia | Home textiles | 50 pieces | 3–8 weeks |
Larger thresholds, up to 500 units, are in Which manufacturers in Northern Europe take a small first order?, and how to compare quantities in different units is in the minimum order guide.
Questions and answers
Do I charge my own country's VAT when I sell online to customers in other EU countries?
Up to a limit. The European Commission's One-Stop Shop portal says the supplier's home VAT rules apply while cross-border sales to consumers stay at or below EUR 10,000 without VAT in the current and the preceding calendar year. Above that, VAT is due in each customer's member state, and an EU-established shop can declare it through the One-Stop Shop.
Is the EUR 10,000 limit counted per country or for the whole EU?
For all other EU countries together. The Commission's One-Stop Shop page adds up business-to-consumer services and distance sales of goods to consumers in other member states, and the limit is EUR 10,000 without VAT. Since 1 July 2021 it covers distance sales of goods. A supplier with establishments in several EU countries cannot use the limit.
In how many EU countries do I register for the One-Stop Shop?
One. The Commission's portal says a taxable person using the scheme "is only required to register in one single Member State, the Member State of identification". From there the shop declares the VAT due in the other member states where its customers live. The Union scheme is open to taxable persons established in the EU.
Does Shopify act as my EU responsible person under GPSR?
No. Shopify's help page on the General Product Safety Regulation says that "Shopify does not currently offer such services directly"; third-party apps offer them. The shop itself must show the product identifier, the manufacturer's details and, where the manufacturer is not in the EU, the EU responsible person and their contact details.
What product information must an online shop show under GPSR?
Shopify's help page lists a product identifier; the manufacturer's name, trade name or trademark; a physical address and an electronic contact; the EU responsible person if the manufacturer is not in the EU; and the warnings, in each country's language where required. The regulation has applied since December 2024, and merchants must also report accidents and cooperate with recalls.
Where do product warnings go in a Shopify store?
In the Disclosures product metafield and metaobject entries. Shopify's GPSR help page says: "For legally-required product warnings specifically, use the Disclosures product metafield and metaobject entries." The warnings must appear in each country's language where that is required, alongside the product identifier and the manufacturer's contact details.
Do I need an EU responsible person if my manufacturer is in Latvia or Sweden?
Shopify's GPSR list asks for an EU responsible person only if the manufacturer is not located in the EU, and Latvia and Sweden are EU members. Whether your brand counts as the manufacturer is a separate question: for cosmetics, Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 makes the brand selling under its own name the responsible person.
Which manufacturers in the Baltics and Nordics offer ready-made products I can sell under my own brand?
16 manufacturers listed on NordSourced describe a ready-made range under the client's label on their own website, for example Allreasons, BF-ESSE, byKristelS, Chocolette Confectionary, Cosmia Nordic. Ready-made means the manufacturer's existing formula or design, so other brands may sell the same product. Check on the profile which products and quantities the offer covers.
Which European private label manufacturers accept a first order of 100 units or fewer?
19 manufacturers listed on NordSourced state a minimum of 100 finished units or fewer on their own website, for example Allreasons, Amber Linen, Aukmergės baldai, Comco, Cosmetics Nord. The figure often counts per product, colour or size, and often belongs to a ready-made product rather than your own formula, so read what it covers before you compare.
How long does a reorder take from a manufacturer in Northern Europe?
It depends on the manufacturer. 51 of the 443 manufacturers listed on NordSourced publish a lead time, and 5 give a separate figure for repeat orders, among them ERA Scientifico, Futures Nutrition and INTERSCALIT. Their profiles show both figures side by side. A repeat order skips development and sampling, which is why it can be the shorter of the two.
Is white label the same as private label?
No. White label is the manufacturer's existing product, formula or recipe under your brand, so other brands may sell the same product. Private label is made for your brand alone. Swedish Can Factory puts the difference in two sentences on its website: "White label is our standard recipes under your brand. Private label is a beverage we develop exclusively for you."
Can a shop outside the EU work with a manufacturer in the Baltics or Nordics?
Yes. A shop in the UK or the US imports the goods under its own country's rules; the guides on bringing products into the UK and the US set out the route. For sales to EU consumers, the One-Stop Shop Union scheme is for taxable persons established in the EU, so a shop outside the EU checks its own case on the Commission's OSS portal.
Where to go next
Sources
- One Stop Shop, European Commission, VAT One Stop Shop portal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), Shopify Help Center. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- General Product Safety Regulation: post by Amazon staff, Seller Forums Europe (undated), Amazon Seller Central Europe. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Article 4, European Parliament and Council, hosted by the European Commission. 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.