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(Short Version)
Private labeling a product means you are putting your brand (label) on a product manufactured by a 3rd party manufacturer, therefore making it your own.
(Extended Version)
Private label selling is when you purchase generic products, normally for a very reduced price and in bulk from another manufacturer, and then add your packaging, logo, and branding.
You then have a quick and easy product you can start selling as your own, without having to build a factory, buy machinery or worry about the manufacturing side of operations.
By creating a private label product you become the sole owner of the brand name you created.
This gives you all authority over the brand’s looks, price, distribution channels, and what products to launch in the marketplace.
When I first started creating private label products, I was contacting random companies that made products and asking if they would make “their product with my brand instead.”
The fact that they would say “yes” was mindblowing to me…
If you are looking to make some real money online, it makes sense to look to the biggest marketplace on the internet – Amazon.
There are a variety of different ways you can make money through Amazon. One way that is becoming more popular is selling using a private label.
The main reason why people choose to create private label brands is that they own and control the brand.
You decide the price, inventory is up to you to manage, the branding is all yours, and in the end, if you want to sell the brand, you have all the rights to do so.
If you are new to the concept and want to learn more about what private labels are and how you could sell on Amazon using your private label, you’ve come to the right place. In the following post, that’s exactly what we’re going to cover.
One of the biggest advantages of private labeling is the flexibility it gives retailers to adapt to changing trends. Instead of being at the mercy of a supplier’s product line-up, you can move nimbly when you spot an opportunity or a shift in customer demand.
Let’s say you notice customers are raving about eco-friendly packaging or there’s a sudden surge in interest for a specific feature—private label gives you the control to make those adjustments. You’re not waiting on a supplier to (hopefully) catch up. Instead, you can communicate directly with your manufacturer—sometimes as easily as hopping on a quick Zoom call—and request product tweaks, packaging updates, or even launch entirely new versions with your branding.
This kind of adaptability means you can stay ahead of trends, keep your inventory fresh, and always be the first to bring the next popular item to your audience.
Now, before you get too far ahead of yourself dreaming up the next Apple or Nike, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: established brands. Why do they seem to have an edge?
For starters, these brands are everywhere. Walk into any Target, Walmart, or even your local grocery store, and you’ll see their logos staring you down from dozens of aisles. Your private label products, at least in the beginning, will show up on your own store’s shelves (be it online or brick-and-mortar)—and that’s it.
Then there’s the marketing muscle. Big-name brands usually have colossal budgets—think millions, not thousands—for advertising campaigns. They run splashy TV ads, sponsor huge events, and sometimes even hire famous celebrities just to say they love their stuff. As a private label seller, you’re probably working with a much smaller scale, so creativity has to do some serious heavy lifting.
That said, don’t let these advantages discourage you. Understanding what makes established brands so powerful helps you figure out where you can differentiate and carve out your own space in the marketplace.
Now, before you start dreaming up logos and hunting for the next hot gadget to call your own, let’s talk about a common bump in the road—brand loyalty.
It’s one thing to slap your logo on a product. It’s another thing entirely to get customers to care about your brand, especially when you’re up against household names like OXO or Keurig. Well-known brands have had years (sometimes decades) to build strong relationships with customers, and their marketing budgets are usually in a different galaxy.
With a private label, your product won’t be found on every corner store shelf—most likely, it will be available only through your own channels. This means you’ll need to work extra hard to build trust and encourage repeat purchases. Your packaging and customer experience matter a lot here, but don’t be surprised if growing recognition takes a little sweat and patience.
If you’re prepared for this challenge (and you totally are), it just means you’ll have to be creative with your marketing and really bring your brand’s story to life. The payoff? Loyal customers who didn’t just stumble onto your brand—they chose it.
Now, before you start adorning every product with your fresh new brand, it’s important to know there can be a few bumps in the road—especially when it comes to building loyal fans. Here’s why:
Limited Exposure: Well-known brands like Nike or KitchenAid have their products in just about every major retailer, not to mention billboards, TV spots, and social feeds. Your private label, meanwhile, is usually sold through a single store (yours), which means less visibility.
Trust Factor: Established brands have spent years (and buckets of cash!) earning trust and recognition. They’re the familiar faces in the marketplace. When customers see your new label, you’re the “new kid on the block”—it takes time and effort to create that same sense of reliability.
Marketing Muscle: Big brands have hefty marketing budgets and entire teams dedicated to shouting their virtues from every rooftop. In contrast, private label brands typically start off with smaller war chests—meaning you’ll need to get creative with how you spread the word.
Customer Habits: People tend to stick with what they know. Shoppers may be hesitant to switch from a big-name they’ve bought for years, even if your product is just as good (or better!). Building loyalty is about persistence, quality, and showing them your brand is worth it.
Of course, none of these challenges are insurmountable. Brands like Trader Joe’s and Kirkland started small, too! With the right strategy and patience, you can absolutely build loyalty to your private label.
Private labeling isn’t limited to just one corner of the market—it’s surprisingly common across several industries. Here are a few fields where private label products frequently make their mark:
In each case, these businesses are leveraging private labeling as a shortcut to offering “their own” products—without ever firing up a factory or sewing a single button themselves.
Choose a Product
The first step you need to set up a private label is to decide on the type of product or products you are going to sell.
To do this you need to do some serious research.
Yes, this is not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but it is crucial.
The best place to start is Amazon. You can check out the list of best-selling products.
Although this is provided to help customers find what they are looking for quickly, it is also a great resource to use for ideas about the products you might like to private label. If you find one there is a great demand for, you are already cutting out some of the risks associated with bringing a new product to market.
You need to stay away from any products that are branded, and it’s always best to aim for items that are lightweight, inexpensive, and very generic, like electronic accessories and kitchen utensils.
Other tips for finding great products to the private label include:
The next step you need to take to have any chance of success selling private label products whether you are selling on Amazon directly or using Amazon FBA, is you need to check out your competition.
Look at what other brands are doing to market the items you are interested in selling. Look at everything from the listing content to the pricing, their ranking in the bestsellers list, and the customer reviews.
You are ideally looking for a balance between demand and competition, where:
As the product you choose is important to your whole business, you need to make sure you choose a good supplier. Although you may be able to find one in the USA or local to you, the best place to look is international, especially if you are looking to reduce the amount you spend as much as possible.
Look for a supplier using the same keywords you used when you were researching Amazon and consider the following points when comparing and contrasting suppliers:
It is best to wait, if you can until you have a supplier in place before you start designing the logo and other branding aspects of your private label products. Whether you try it yourself or hire a freelancer, advertising agency, or design studio, it is entirely down to your skill set, budget, and how quickly you want to start marketing your products.
To get some ideas of what you could do for logos and branding, it’s always good to again refer to your competitors. You want to make sure you are not copying or coming up with something like theirs because you want your customers to be able to differentiate between your rivals and your products.
Once you have the branding and logo information, you can send the relevant files to the supplier and then production can begin.
The next part of the process involves creating your Amazon listings.
You will have a bit of time you can spend crafting and fine-tuning a listing that will attract buyers, while you wait for your products to be manufactured and shipped.
You can again, choose to do this yourself by creating your seller account, writing the content, and providing the images or you can choose to work with an Amazon expert who will help you.
The reason you might want to have someone else create the listing content for you is Amazon is very picky about what you can and can’t say within listings. (Claims or even some keywords to avoid)
Another reason is that you need to please the buyer and the algorithms at the same time.
If you are new to Amazon, it might be best to get an expert to do it for you, so your progress to market your products is not hindered.
One of the biggest benefits of choosing to sell private label products is to establish your strong brand. To stop your brand from getting lost on Amazon, there are things you can do to create a strong brand presence, including:
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