The two arrangements
| White label | Private label | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A standard product the supplier sells to many brands, with your label on it | Product filled and labelled for you, sometimes to your specification, sometimes exclusively |
| Who else sells it | Possibly many other brands, from the same batches | Ideally nobody, if exclusivity is written into the agreement |
| Minimums | Usually lower | Usually higher |
| Speed to launch | Faster | Slower, because of setup and approval |
| What sets you apart | Your brand, service and proof of quality | The same, plus anything specific to your product |
Suppliers in this market use the two terms loosely, and some use them interchangeably. Ignore the label on the offer and ask what you actually get: which batches, sold to whom, under what terms.
What you own, and what you do not
- You own your brand name and, if you have registered it, the trademark. Register it before you invest in packaging.
- You should own the label artwork. Get that in writing, so you can move suppliers without redesigning.
- You own your customer list and your reputation. Neither goes with the supplier if you leave.
- You usually do not own the supplier's process, and with white label, the same batch may be carrying other brands' labels.
- You do own the responsibility. A buyer with a vial that does not match its label will come to you, not your supplier.
Settle these in writing before the first order
- Exclusivity: is this product or batch sold to anyone else, and for how long is that promise good?
- Batch mapping: which supplier batch does each of your lot numbers come from, and will they tell you every time?
- Lab reports: one per batch, from a named lab, with the batch number matching your label.
- Content: are amounts stated as net peptide content or gross fill?
- Artwork and label approval: who owns the files, and nothing prints without your written approval.
- Failure: what happens if your independent test of a batch fails.
- Minimums, lead times, and what happens to stock bearing your label if you part ways.
Checks that stay your job either way
Outsourcing the filling does not outsource the checking. Before a private or white label batch goes on sale:
- Match your lot number to the supplier's batch and to its lab report.
- Test a vial yourself at an independent lab, at least on the first order and on any batch that looks or behaves differently.
- Check the printed label against your approved artwork, word for word, including the research-use-only statement.
- Work out landed cost per milligram from the net content you actually received, not the quoted figure.
Peptide testing labs compared covers choosing a lab, and the cost per mg calculator does the arithmetic.
Doing it in Purity
Purity keeps a private label business traceable. Each supplier's price sheets and purchase orders sit on the supplier's record, every batch you receive gets its own lot and lab report, and nothing goes on sale until the report passes your release rule. Batch labels print with the product, the batch number and a QR code to the batch's public report, and the price board compares suppliers per milligram when you want a second source. See it on the demo.
Common questions
- What is the difference between white label and private label peptides?
- White label is a standard product sold to many brands with each brand's label on it. Private label is product filled and labelled for you, sometimes to your specification and sometimes exclusively. In practice suppliers use the terms loosely, so ask what you actually get.
- Is private label worth the higher minimums?
- When exclusivity is in writing and you have the sales to carry the minimums, yes. Without exclusivity, you may be paying more for the same batches other brands sell.
- Who is responsible for what is in a private label vial?
- Buyers will hold the brand on the label responsible. That is why the brand owner still needs batch-matched lab reports and their own independent tests.