In the olive oil industry, you can either go white-label or private-label, but what's the difference?
White-label olive oil is generic, standard, stock olive oil sold by manufacturers to a variety of buyers who bottle and brand it. The buyers add their labels, packaging, and minor tweaks, but the oil inside is not exclusive to them. It is the same oil sold under multiple different names. It is a quick, cost-efficient way to get a branded product on a shelf.
Private-label olive oil is produced to a customer's specific quality standards and specifications and then sold under their own brand. It is a specific blend, with a defined origin, sensory profile, and customized packaging. The oil is developed to the customer's brand's brief and is not offered to their competitors. It offers exclusivity and greater control over the product, but is a slower and more expensive process. Private-label production is also commonly referred to as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) in the food industry.
Many producers offer both and allow white-label buyers to customize the bottle and artwork. The difference is how much of the product is exclusively yours and specified by you.
What can be customized?
The closer it is to private-label, the more of the product can be customized, for example:
● Grade: Extra virgin, virgin, refined, olive pomace, or infused oils. This defines the quality and the cost.
● Origin and variety: Single-origin from Spain, Italy, Greece, or a blend of origins. Specific olive cultivars such as Picual, Koroneiki or Arbequina, each with its own flavour, or a blend.
● Sensory profile: Bold, bitter and peppery early-harvest oils or milder, rounder late-harvest oils. Directed towards the consumer's taste.
● Certifications: Organic, PDO/PGI protected-origin status, non-GMO, Kosher, Halal, etc. This targets certain markets but requires documentation compliance.
● Packaging: Dark glass bottles for premium appeal; tins are cheaper but still protect against light; PET for cost-efficient bulk; or pouches. Sizes vary. Customized cap and label designs.
All these customizations increase both the minimum order and the price. The benefit is that such customizations make the product harder for a competitor to copy.
What is the best option?
The choice between white-label and private-label depends on budget, minimum order, speed to market, and the degree of differentiation the product can achieve.
Choose white-label for a faster option or when testing a new market, launching a startup line, adding olive oil to an existing range, or producing gifting and promotional products. It is more affordable, but the oil will not be unique.
Choose private-label for differentiation and control when building a premium brand, when needing an exclusive flavour or a certified profile, or when scaling to volumes where a custom programme's better margins outweigh its higher minimums. It is often the next step after starting white-label and validating that demand justifies a dedicated product.
Minimum orders and cost
Minimum order quantities scale with customization, but quantities vary widely depending on the supplier.
Stock oil in a standard bottle can range from the low hundreds to a few thousand litres or units, and some producers will run smaller first orders at a higher per-unit cost, so a new brand can test the market. Fully custom private-label oils usually begin in the several-thousand-unit range and may increase to tens of thousands.
The cost of the service is different from the cost of the oil. Oil prices depend on market dynamics and many factors, including the stage of the campaign, production, weather, stock levels, sales, and other variables.
There are also bottling and packaging costs, which vary by bottle type, size, closure, label complexity, and packaging design, as well as shipping costs and any applicable import duties.
