Food & Beverage · Southern California
A three-month U.S. market entry program for shelf-stable food and beverage brands. For $2,950, including one SKU and its first pallet, we introduce your product to up to 25 selected retailers, restaurants and foodservice buyers in Southern California and pursue real shelf placement and sales, without a U.S. team or a container.
24/7 support We respond within 6 hours.
Sell through retail, restaurants, wholesale and ecommerce
This service is currently available only for shelf-stable food products that do not require refrigeration or frozen storage.
These products can still use our other services where they fit. Ask us.
Starter Program
You know the cost before we start. The commission applies only to sales Abanro generates during the three months.
What you get
$2,950
A lean, low-commitment start
How the commission works
Starter's three months are about establishing your brand in the U.S., reaching real buyers and generating your first sales. Abanro earns a 25% commission only on sales we generate during Starter. No sales, no commission.
Once your product gains traction, you can move into Growth, which is pay as you go: Abanro takes no sales commission, and you pay for the operational services you use, such as warehousing, handling and fulfillment.
Starter · Months 1 to 3
25%commission on sales Abanro generates
Growth · Pay as you go
0%Abanro sales commission
The three month Starter Program includes the first SKU, the first pallet for each enrolled SKU, up to 25 buyer introductions, outreach, follow-up, placement, standard handling, included campaign delivery, dashboard access and monthly reporting. Orders Abanro generates carry no separate pick and pack or handling fees.
You pay extra only when you add:
Sales commission applies only to sales Abanro generates during the three month Starter Program. Growth, the pay-as-you-go stage, has no sales commission.
| Service | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Program | $2,950 | First SKU, first pallet for each enrolled SKU, up to 25 buyers, outreach, follow-up, placement, standard handling, included storage, standard buyer placements or shipments, dashboard access and monthly reporting for three months |
| Each additional SKU | $1,900 | Adds another SKU to the program and includes the first pallet for that SKU |
| Each additional pallet | $49 per pallet per month | Pallets beyond the first included pallet for each enrolled SKU, at the standard pallet storage rate |
| Pallet storage after the program | $49 per pallet per month | Each pallet stored with Abanro after the three months |
| Additional 25 buyer introductions | $1,000 | Another targeted group of up to 25 buyers |
| Sales Abanro generates (months 1 to 3) | 25% commission | Only on sales Abanro generates during the three month program, before sales tax. No commission in Growth, the pay-as-you-go stage |
The first pallet for each enrolled SKU is included during the three months. Orders Abanro generates carry no separate pick and pack or handling fees: only the 25% commission and storage apply. Orders you bring yourself are fulfilled at the pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment rates.
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: put your product in front of real buyers in one market, Southern California, and decide what comes next from real buyer activity 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 retailers, foodservice buyers, wholesalers or a mix.
It sits on top of our U.S. operations. We can check what your shipment needs, coordinate customs clearance, receive and store your products and deliver the orders that follow. Food brands can read more on food product prep, and our guide to selling food products in the U.S. covers FDA registration, Prior Notice, FSVP and the importer of record.
Starter is the first step, not the ceiling. After three months, you can renew Starter or move into Growth: pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment, more outlets, and larger distributors or retail chains approached with real buyer data. As demand develops, Scale is about building a larger U.S. presence. Our founder spent more than 20 years entering difficult markets as an exporter, and the program is built on that experience. Exporters from Italy and Turkey have their own pages.
How it works commercially
You keep full ownership of your products while we open the doors: we place them with up to 25 selected buyers, follow up and report every result to you. A 25% commission applies only to sales our activity generates during the three months, and Growth, the pay-as-you-go stage after that, has no sales commission.
Introductions are made in Southern California, primarily the Los Angeles area, Orange County, Riverside and San Diego. Who we approach depends on your product: a premium packaged snack may be introduced mainly to retailers, while an olive oil, sauce or pasta may be introduced to both retailers and restaurants. Buyers may include:
Retail
Foodservice
And wholesalers and other suitable local buyers.
Every month for three months, where applicable:
Your monthly reports and dashboard show every buyer's response, placement and order, so you know exactly where your brand is gaining traction.
What's included
Track it in your dashboard
Track campaign activity and status through the Abanro dashboard, where applicable:
FDA does not approve most food products before they are sold, but imported food must meet U.S. requirements before it ships. We check what yours needs first.
Which of these apply depends on your product, your facility and your importer. Any specialist work and its cost are disclosed to you before anything proceeds.
For initial shipments, the brand, its designated U.S. importer or, in eligible cases, Abanro acts as Importer of Record. Customs duties, clearance fees and government charges are paid at actual cost, without an Abanro markup.
Your U.S. business starts here. Start with 25 outlets. Expand as your business grows.
After Starter
Renew Starter for another three months, or move into Growth, which is pay as you go with no Abanro sales commission.
Scale, when you are ready
Scale is not a separate package. It is the stage we plan together once demand supports more regions, distributors and larger accounts, subject to operational arrangements.
A lean way into the U.S.
Enter the U.S. market without shipping a container.
Brands can begin with small inventory quantities, potentially as little as one carton per retailer, depending on the product and each retailer's requirements. We then use real buyer activity to decide where you should invest next.
Starter is built to create real U.S. sales and buyer relationships before you spend significantly more on inventory, exhibitions, distributors or national expansion.
Your monthly reports and dashboard show every buyer conversation, placement and order, so you always know where your brand is gaining ground.
We review your product, and the first SKU's U.S. compliance and labels.
Together we agree the up to 25 retailers, restaurants, foodservice buyers or wholesalers to approach.
Start small, even one carton per retailer where the product and retailer allow. We receive, handle and store it during the program.
Once inventory is ready, we aim to work through the selected buyers over about the first 20 days.
We follow up, coordinate orders, collect payment where we handle the sale and follow up on reorders.
A clear report every month of the program, with campaign activity and status in your dashboard.
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. Refrigerated, frozen, fresh or cold-chain products are not accepted for the Starter Program.
Three months of market entry work: the first SKU and its first pallet, onboarding, U.S. compliance and label review for the first SKU, buyer targeting, up to 25 buyer introductions, outreach, follow-up, handling of the agreed starting inventory, storage of the included pallets, standard handling, standard placements or shipments to the included buyers, buyer feedback tracking, order coordination, payment collection where Abanro handles the sale, reorder follow-up, dashboard access and monthly reporting for all three months.
No. Everything included in the program is listed on this page. Additional charges apply only to additional SKUs, additional pallets, additional buyer groups, pallet storage after the three months, external shipments, optional labeling or fulfillment, customs and other services you request separately.
You pay no 25% commission, because it applies only to sales Abanro generates. The three-month program fee covers the campaign work, buyer outreach, logistics, follow-up and reporting, and the inventory remains yours.
It applies only to sales generated through Abanro during the three-month program, and it is calculated on the sale price before sales tax. For example, if a product sells for $15 before sales tax, Abanro's commission is $3.75. Sales you make yourself, or that do not come from our activity, carry no commission.
No. It covers Starter, the three-month market entry stage, when Abanro actively introduces your brand, finds buyers, runs outreach and works to generate your first sales. If your product gains traction, you can move into Growth, the pay-as-you-go stage, where Abanro takes no sales commission and you pay only for the operational services you use, such as warehousing, handling, fulfillment and logistics.
You do, throughout. Abanro provides the market entry, operations and buyer development; your products stay your property.
There is no fixed minimum volume. If your product is new to the U.S., we recommend starting small: depending on the product and each retailer's requirements, you may be able to begin with as little as one carton per retailer. The quantity should be enough to allow real placement and selling opportunities across the agreed group of up to 25 outlets. We help you size it for your product and case pack.
We focus on real placements and sales rather than giveaways: the goal is to put your product with real buyers, gather real market feedback and generate orders. Where it helps win an account, we may recommend an introductory discount.
Depending on the product: independent retailers, specialty food stores, gourmet markets, restaurants, cafés, wholesalers and relevant foodservice buyers. A premium packaged snack is usually introduced mainly to retailers, while an olive oil, sauce or pasta may be introduced to both retailers and restaurants. We agree the buyer group with you before the campaign starts.
In Southern California, primarily the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Orange County, Riverside and San Diego. We can expand beyond this area, but our initial goal is to build real sales and buyer relationships without creating unnecessary geographic cost.
Because broader geography usually means more shipping, more coordination and more cost. For a first U.S. launch, we prefer to build real sales in Southern California, then expand into new regions through Growth and Scale as demand develops.
You can renew Starter for another three months, or move into Growth, the pay-as-you-go stage with no Abanro sales commission: more inventory for the products that sell, more outlets and channels, and recurring wholesale orders. As demand develops, Scale is about building a larger U.S. presence, with new regions, distributors and larger retail accounts. Scale is a stage we plan together, not a separate package.
Once your inventory is received and ready, our target is to begin buyer placement and outreach right away and to work through the selected buyer group over approximately the first 20 days.
A report every month for all three months. Where applicable it covers buyer outreach, placements, buyer responses, feedback, orders, follow-up and reorder status. You can also track campaign activity and status through the Abanro dashboard.
Yes. You get access to the Abanro software dashboard, where you can monitor campaign activity such as outreach, placements, responses, orders, payments and follow-ups, where applicable.
You do not need to move all of it to Abanro. Keep your inventory where it is and send us only the quantity needed for the Starter Program.
You can ship inventory to us. Abanro can coordinate import readiness and FDA-related readiness, arrange your customs clearance, then receive, store and handle your products.
Our product review includes U.S. compliance and label review, including FDA-related readiness. If facility registration, a U.S. Agent, FSVP or other specialized requirements are needed, we identify them and coordinate them separately.
For initial shipments, the brand, its designated U.S. importer or, in eligible cases, Abanro acts as Importer of Record.
We handle U.S. customs clearance as part of your shipment.
No. Customs duties, clearance fees and government charges are passed through at actual cost, without an Abanro markup.
Yes, for the agreed starting inventory. The first pallet of each enrolled SKU is stored for the three months of the program, and handling of the starting inventory is included. Each additional pallet is $49 per pallet per month, and after the three months pallet storage is $49 per pallet per month. Inventory outside the program is billed at our pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment rates.
No. When Abanro generates the sale, there are no separate pick and pack or handling fees for that order. The 25% commission and the storage rates apply. If you bring an order yourself and use Abanro only to fulfill it, our pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment rates apply.
Yes. Normal shipment or placement to the 25 selected buyers in our Market Introduction network is included in the standard program. External shipments you request, Amazon fulfillment, ecommerce orders and other shipments outside the network are charged separately at our pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment rates.
Yes. Amazon prep, Shopify and ecommerce fulfillment, pick and pack and external shipments are separate pay-as-you-go Prep & Fulfillment services, not part of the program, at the rates on our pricing page.
The inventory remains yours. Where applicable, we can collect, hold, return or redirect unsold inventory according to your instructions. Any external transportation you request outside the included campaign is charged separately.
Yes. An additional group of up to 25 buyer introductions is $1,000.
Yes. The first SKU, with its first pallet, is included in the $2,950 program. Each additional SKU is $1,900 and includes the first pallet for that SKU.
We choose buyers that fit your product, place it with them, follow up and coordinate orders and reorders. Each buyer makes its own stocking decision, and your monthly reports and dashboard show exactly where every conversation stands.
Tell us about your product and where it is today. We respond within 6 hours.
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