The best meals for meal prep companies can come from either white or private label meal prep manufacturers. If you’re in the market for suppliers selling wholesale products, you’re probably in the early stages of determining how to start a meal prep business.
If that’s the case, ensure that you thoroughly evaluate white and private label meal prep options. This step can be part of your meal prep business plan if you’re still in the midst of writing the final draft.
But if supply chain operations are your next step, this blog post should help you understand the pros and cons of white vs. private label meal prep suppliers. So, continue reading for all the details!
Private Label Meal Prep Brands
In competitive landscapes, private label brands have major advantages over others on the market. That’s due to the exclusive licensing agreement between the manufacturer and the consumer goods company. Or in this case, the meal prep business. From control over what goes into each ingredient list to the packaging designs, private label brands can allow a business owner to see their ideas come to fruition in every category.
Control Over Private Label Meal Prep Brands
Private label meal prep distributors will grant you with the utmost amount of control over your product line. For instance, you’ll be able to customize your menu types by selecting which recipes you’ll sell in meal prep kits. After all, having a wide selection of meals to choose from is the whole point of shopping from a meal prep company.
It’s also common practice for the best meal prep services to rotate their menus on a weekly basis. This is a task that would be extremely difficult to achieve by purchasing meals or ready-to-prep recipes from a white label brand. That’s if you want to offer a diverse range of meals, of course.
Exclusivity of Private Label Meal Prep Brands
One of the greatest selling points of private label meal prep brands is that there is complete exclusivity. In other words, if there’s an agreement between a meal prep company and a manufacturer, no other brands can sell wholesale products made by the supplier, hence the term “private.”
Whether you sell ready-to-eat meals or meal kits, it’s vital to implement product differentiation. Maybe your main unique selling proposition will center around offering low-calorie meals. Or, perhaps it will stand out from the rest by implementing food trends.
Regardless, once your brand is able to stand out from the crowd, you’ll benefit from having exclusive rights to the product line. Then, no matter how much a competitor might try to replicate your brand, they won’t have access to your recipes.
Even if a competitor wanted to replicate your product and meal prep shipping materials, all of it can be customized through a private label manufacturer. In fact, custom wholesale meal prep containers and labels are other reasons to source goods from a private label distributor. Wholesale packaging can be a bit generic from one brand to the next. So, leveraging available resources to customize it to suit your needs is key.
Quality of Private Label Meal Prep Brands
When you have full control over your products, you also have a lot of say when it comes to the supply chain. Therefore, you’ll be able to keep a close eye on the quality of each and every recipe. In the event that something doesn’t look, feel, or taste as it should, you have the ability to address it.
If you’re still in search of a private label manufacturer for a meal prep business, consider quality control. Which standards do they promise to meet? Do they source ingredients in an ethical manner? How will they handle quality assurance? These are just a few of many questions to consider before signing a contractual agreement with a private label manufacturer.
White Label Meal Prep Brands
Meal prep companies are some of the most interactive business models. Therefore, white label brands in this sector might be fairly limited. Sure, private label brands may source individual ingredients from white label manufacturers. But for an entire meal prep business to source every kit through a white label distributor, their options will be sparse. Continue reading for how selling white label meal prep subscription services might be a possibility in this day and age.
Control Over White Label Meal Prep Brands
There are several manufacturers that sell white label frozen meals. That’s how brands you see in local grocery stores, like Lean Cuisine and Amy’s Kitchen sell products without harvesting their own ingredients.
As a result, white label meal prep brands may not have a ton of options for their menu. After all, only a few frozen meal manufacturers exist in the market. Plus, the best frozen dinner brands are huge hits among consumers. So, if you source ready-to-eat meals from the same manufacturers, the similarities may be obvious.
If customers begin noticing that they can buy almost (or exactly) the same items from their local grocery stores, they may opt against a meal prep subscription. It would be one less subscription that their credit card is tied to, so they may take the simple route.
Exclusivity of White Label Meal Prep Brands
The possibility of white label products gaining popularity among multiple brands kind of goes along with your company’s lack of control. You see, one of the perks of going with private label products is that you’re guaranteed to be the only company on the market selling a particular catalog of products.
However, when you choose white label prepared foods, you run the risk of losing any sense of exclusivity. Plus, you can also end up losing any amount of product diversification.
With this in mind, brands that purchase white label meal kits should focus a lot of their attention on marketing efforts. Many companies are able to create such a strong brand identity that the product comes second. This can also be done by launching a very generous loyalty program.
Quality of White Label Meal Prep Brands
The quality of white label meal prep kits can be fantastic. The only thing that you should be mindful of is that you have less control over the quality of white label products.
Sure, you can always start purchasing products from another manufacturer. Just use your meal prep business software to browse through catalogs of other suppliers. But if you do, your meal kit menu is bound to change. This is especially true for companies that sell ready-to-eat meals since packaging, unit sizes, and presentation are all parts of the equation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Private Label Meal Prep
The decision to move forward with white vs. private label meal prep suppliers will require a lot of thought and consideration. Want to learn more about it? Take a look at the FAQ section below:
Are White or Private Label Meal Prep Brands More Expensive?
Private label brands are typically more expensive than white label brands, but not always. In the event that they are, it’s usually because of the customizations for both the ingredient lists and packaging. Or, it can simply be priced higher to appear as a premium brand. It all depends on the company.
Are White or Private Label Products Better?
Private label products can be better for the way they are customized, while white label products can be more cost-effective. Whether one is better than the other depends on your brand’s preferences and needs.
Do Most Brands Resell White Label Products?
Yes, it’s extremely common for brands to acquire white label products and resell them under their own name. In fact, there are only a limited number of private label brands across the food and beverage industry.
How Much Do Meals From a Meal Prep Business Cost?
Meals sold by a meal prep company can cost anywhere from $5 to $10 per serving. Typically, the more dishes a customer orders at once, the lower the unit price.
Can I Run a Meal Prep Business From a Home Kitchen?
Yes, it’s possible to run a meal prep business from your home kitchen. Just make sure you acquire all the necessary licenses and permits beforehand. It’s also crucial to prepare for inspections.
Shop White or Private Label Meal Prep Products
An online marketplace can make it extremely easy and cost-effective to purchase white or private label meal prep ingredients and supplies. Luckily, an app like BlueCart can provide you with the tools you need to achieve success. Book a demo with us today to learn more about purchasing white or private label products online.