Market introduction
Pricing available on request
Scoped to the number of buyer introductions agreed before the campaign starts. You pay for the campaign itself, whether or not it leads to orders.
Market Introduction · Southern California
Test your product in Southern California.
Abanro helps eligible international food brands introduce shelf-stable products to suitable retailers, restaurants and foodservice buyers across Southern California.
24/7 support We respond within 6 hours.
Which products qualify
This service is currently available only for shelf-stable food products that do not require refrigeration or frozen storage.
Currently accepted
- Shelf-stable foods
- Non-perishable packaged foods
- Products stored and transported at room temperature
- Products that need no refrigeration or freezing
Not currently available for this service
- Refrigerated products
- Frozen products
- Fresh or perishable products
- Products that need cold-chain handling
These products can still use our other services where they fit. Ask us.
What a campaign may include
Every campaign is scoped with you before it starts. Not every step applies to every product.
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Buyer outreach
Introductions to retailers, restaurants and foodservice buyers that fit your product.
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Sampling
Samples delivered to interested buyers from our U.S. facility, where appropriate.
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Buyer follow-up
We follow up with buyers who show interest and keep you posted.
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First-order coordination
If a buyer orders, we help coordinate the first order with you.
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Local fulfillment
Resulting orders shipped from your inventory at our U.S. facility.
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Market report
What happened with each introduction, plus the feedback we gathered.
In detail
Most international food brands are told to plan a national rollout before they know whether U.S. buyers want their product. Market Introduction is a smaller first step: test real buyer interest in one market, Southern California, with an agreed number of suitable retail and foodservice buyers, and decide what comes next from a clear report rather than a forecast.
For many products the first customers are not only stores but kitchens: restaurants, cafés and delis that use olive oil, sauces, pasta, condiments, coffee or specialty ingredients every day. Who we approach depends on your product, so the campaign can cover retail, foodservice or both.
It sits on top of our U.S. operations. We can check what your shipment needs, coordinate customs clearance, receive and store your products, send samples to interested buyers and deliver the orders that follow. Food brands can read more on food product prep.
Who it's for
- International food brands with shelf-stable products new to the U.S.
- Brands already importing that want their first retail or foodservice customers
- Producers of snacks, olive oil, pasta, sauces, condiments, coffee, tea, confectionery and specialty ingredients
What to send us first
- Product details, ingredients and shelf life
- Wholesale price, suggested retail price and any foodservice pack sizes
- Packaging and label images
- Current U.S. availability, if any
How it works commercially
You keep your product. We open the doors and report back.
We don't buy your inventory. We introduce your product to an agreed number of suitable buyers, track every response and report the results to you. If our sales activity generates orders, a 25% sales commission applies to those sales.
Introductions are made across Southern California, from Los Angeles through Orange County toward San Diego. Who we approach depends on your product: a premium packaged snack may be tested mainly with retailers, while an olive oil, sauce or pasta may be tested with both retailers and restaurants. Buyers may include:
Retail
Foodservice
And other suitable local buyers.
Your market report
Where available, it covers:
- Buyers contacted
- Buyer type (retail, restaurant, foodservice)
- Responses
- Samples delivered
- Interest level
- Product feedback
- Pricing feedback
- Orders generated
- Follow-up status
Not every buyer contacted will review, sample, stock or buy a product. The report shows exactly what happened with each introduction.
Clear commercial terms
Three separate parts, so you always know what you are paying for.
Sales commission
25% of sales generated through Abanro
Applies only to sales that come from our sales activity. A commission, not a markup on your product.
Operations and fulfillment
Quoted separately where applicable
Receiving, storage, prep, labeling and repacking, sample shipments, fulfillment and shipping, at our published rates or as quoted.
How a market test runs
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We review your product
Product, packaging, shelf life and pricing, for fit with Southern California retail and foodservice.
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We define the buyer profile
Together we agree which retailers, restaurants or foodservice buyers to approach, depending on your product.
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We introduce your product
To the agreed number of relevant buyers, set before the campaign starts.
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We sample and follow up
Samples where appropriate, and follow-up with buyers who show interest.
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We track and report
Outreach, feedback and buyer interest, in a clear market report.
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Orders, if they come
We coordinate first orders and fulfill them locally. Sales commission is calculated separately.
Questions
Which products qualify?
This service is currently available only for shelf-stable food products that do not require refrigeration or frozen storage: packaged foods stored and transported at normal room temperature, such as snacks, olive oil, sauces, pasta, coffee, tea and confectionery.
Do you buy our inventory?
No. Abanro does not buy your inventory or take ownership of your products by providing this service. You remain the owner of your products unless a separate written agreement says otherwise.
Do you approach restaurants as well as stores?
Yes, where it fits the product. Restaurants, cafés, delis and other foodservice buyers use olive oil, pasta, sauces, condiments, coffee, tea and specialty ingredients every day, so for many imported products they are the natural first customers in California. A premium packaged snack, on the other hand, is usually tested with retailers. We agree the buyer mix with you before the campaign starts.
How many buyers will you contact?
The number of buyer introductions is agreed with you before the campaign starts, and your report shows each introduction and its outcome.
Do you guarantee listings, orders or sales?
No. Retailers, restaurants and other buyers decide what they review, sample, stock, use or buy. We carry out the agreed introductions, follow up with interested buyers and tell you exactly what happened.
How does the 25% sales commission work?
It applies only to sales generated through Abanro's sales activity. It is a sales commission, not a markup on your product, and it is separate from the market introduction fee and from operational services such as receiving, storage, prep and fulfillment.
Do we pay for the introduction campaign if no orders come from it?
Yes. The market introduction fee covers the introductions, sampling coordination, follow-up and your market report, whatever the outcome. Pricing is available on request and agreed before the campaign starts.
Is this available outside Southern California?
Not at the moment. Market Introduction covers Southern California, from Los Angeles through Orange County toward San Diego. Our receiving, prep, storage and forwarding serve brands shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Do our products need to be in the U.S. already?
No. We can coordinate import readiness, shipping and customs clearance first, then start the introductions once your products have arrived. Your products must be legally importable and saleable in the U.S.; labeling and registration remain your responsibility, and we tell you at the quote stage what information we need.
Related
- Food products Receiving, labeling, repacking and FBA prep for packaged food brands.
- U.S. market entry Operations, support and sales tools for brands starting to sell in the United States.
- Sampling Product samples stored in California and shipped to U.S. buyers, distributors and retailers when they ask.
- Forwarding and shipping Pick and pack, parcel, carton and pallet shipping to Amazon, distributors, retailers and 3PLs.
Planning a market test?
Tell us about your product and where it is today. We respond within 6 hours.
24/7 support We respond within 6 hours.