All businesses / Private label on marketplaces

At a glance: money to start · hours · how fast it pays · how much you keep · how much it can earn. Taller bars are better; the dashed line is halfway.

Private label on marketplaces: what it really costs to start

Starting a private-label brand on marketplaces in Europe costs €5,000–€45,000 in 2026, with first income after about 16 weeks and earnings of up to €5,000 a month working full time.

Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page

Your own brand, sold on Amazon.

Private label on marketplaces in numbers
Money to start €5,000–€45,000 What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch.
Hours a week 15–40 What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time.
Weeks to first income about 16 How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks.
Kept of every €100 €20 What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours.
Most it earns a month €5,000 full time + A realistic ceiling for you running it. It can grow further, but only by hiring or adding units.
Competition high Easy to enter, so plenty of people already do it.
Licence or qualification needed Count it in months, not weeks, and check the rules where you live.

This maximum is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described: you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

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What nobody usually tells you

The platform hands you millions of buyers on day one, which nothing else here does. In exchange it takes a third, competes with you, and can suspend your account without explanation — and your capital is sitting in its warehouse.

The route, in five steps

  1. Validate demand with real sales data before ordering stock
  2. Order samples from three suppliers, always
  3. Budget as much for advertising as for the stock itself
  4. One product done properly beats five launched at once
  5. Your account is the business and the platform can close it

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.

first stock ordersamplesbrand registrationphotographyadvertising budget

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Common questions

How much does it cost to start a private-label brand on marketplaces?

Between €5,000 and €45,000 to begin. That covers first stock order, samples, brand registration and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 16 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.

How long after starting a private-label brand on marketplaces does the first income arrive?

Around 16 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €5,000 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 40 hours a week.

How much can you earn a month if you start a private-label brand on marketplaces?

Up to about €5,000 a month working full time. Of every €100 it takes, about €20 stays with you after running costs. Past that it can grow, but by hiring people or adding units rather than by working more hours.

Can you start a private-label brand on marketplaces alongside a job?

Not really. This one produces nothing at reduced hours: it is full time or it is nothing. At 15 hours a week minimum, and 16 weeks before the first euro, there is no part-time version of it that pays.

Is there a lot of competition?

Competition is high. Crowded markets are crowded because anyone can enter tomorrow, which is also why they tend to keep more of each euro but earn less in total.

Similar businesses to compare

Sources

Where these numbers come from. Figures are rounded ranges for European markets; check the ones you are about to spend money on. Last checked September 2026.

  1. Jungle Scout — How much money Amazon sellers make (seller survey) what it earns · money to start · share kept
  2. Red Stag Fulfillment — How much Amazon sellers make (margins 15–25% for FBA) share kept · time to first income

Does it fit you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your money, your hours and how long you can wait. Put them in and see.

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