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Contract manufacturing guide

How to sell supplements: web shop, Amazon, practices, direct selling and more

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 11 October 2026 · Reading time: 8 min

In short

There are six typical supplement sales channels: your own web shop, marketplaces, practices and advisors, pharmacies and drugstores, direct selling and B2B sales to companies. Each channel places its own demands on margin, packaging, logistics and marketing. One rule applies to all of them: in the EU, health-related marketing claims are only permitted if they have been authorized.

Why you should decide on your sales channel early

When founders plan their own supplement, they usually think about the formula first. But the sales channel determines almost everything that follows: pack size, packaging, retail price, margin, launch volume and how you explain your product. A product for pharmacies needs different packaging than one for direct selling; a product for your own web shop needs a different pricing strategy than one for a marketplace.

So settle on your sales channel at the concept stage – before you design the packaging and order your first volume.

Your price has to fit the channel

Work backward from the retail price. Depending on the channel, different costs come out of what your customer pays:

Manufacturing and packaging: the formula, pack size and volume determine the price per box.
Channel costs: marketplace fees, the retailer’s margin or commissions in direct selling.
Shipping and service: postage, shipping materials, returns and customer inquiries.
Marketing: what does it cost to win a new customer?

If too little is left after that, either the channel or the price does not fit. How manufacturing costs are made up is explained in What does contract manufacturing cost?

Supplement sales channels compared

Sales channel	Advantages	Disadvantages	Good fit for
Own web shop	full margin, your own customer data, subscriptions easy to set up	you have to attract visitors yourself; payment, shipping and service are on you	brands with reach, a community or an advertising budget
Marketplaces	large reach, customers trust the platform	their own rules and approvals, fees, strong price comparison, little customer data	products with clear search demand
Practices and advisors	high trust, personal recommendation	limited volume per practice, professional rules to observe	products that need explaining, personalized products
Pharmacies and drugstores	credibility, walk-in customers	retail margin, hard for new brands to get listed, printed packaging needed	established brands, retailers’ own brands
Direct selling	personal recommendation, recurring demand	commissions, responsibility for what partners say	products taken every day
B2B and corporate health	larger volumes per customer	long decision processes, a few large customers	companies, gyms, institutions

Your own web shop

In your own shop, you own the entire customer relationship: you know who your buyers are, you can reach out to them again and you can offer a subscription with automatic reorder. No retailer takes a cut, so the margin stays with you.

The price for that: you have to attract visitors yourself – through advertising, content, social media or an existing community. On top of that come payment processing, shipping, customer service and the legal obligations of running an online shop. Check the rules for e-commerce in your target market.

Tip: your shop is the natural home for a subscription. How to build predictable revenue with one is covered in Subscription models.

Marketplaces such as Amazon

Marketplaces bring reach that a new shop would first have to build. Customers search there for specific products and trust the platform with payment and delivery.

In return, the marketplace’s rules apply. Marketplaces have their own requirements for supplements, sometimes with approval processes and documentation requirements, and these can change. So check the current conditions before you plan your packaging and launch volume. Other points to consider:

Fees: factor the marketplace’s costs into your pricing.
Price comparison: your product sits right next to the competition. Without clear differentiation, price becomes the main argument.
Customer data: the customer relationship largely stays with the marketplace.
Listing copy: product titles, images and descriptions are advertising too – the same rules apply as on the packaging.

Practices, therapists and advisors

Doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, physiotherapists and trainers enjoy their clients’ trust. A recommendation made during a consultation carries more weight than any ad. That makes this channel ideal for products that need explaining – and especially for personalized supplements, where genetic or blood data are discussed.

Two points to be aware of:

Professional rules: some health professions have rules on whether and how products may be sold in a practice. Check with the relevant professional body or association.
Volume: a single practice sells limited quantities. The channel becomes attractive when you win many practices or run a practice with a large client base yourself.

A model that often works well for practices: the practice recommends, and the product is shipped directly to the client – with no stock held in the practice.

Pharmacies and drugstores

In retail, you benefit from credibility and walk-in customers. For new brands, however, getting onto the shelf is demanding: retailers want a share of every sale, supply often runs through wholesalers, and to get listed you need convincing arguments – such as proven demand from your own shop.

For retail, you usually need fully printed packaging with a barcode and pricing that can carry the retail margin. More on packaging options in Packaging.

The reverse route is also possible: pharmacies and drugstores that build their own brand and are looking for a contract manufacturer.

Direct selling and network marketing

In direct selling, independent sales partners recommend your product within their own networks. Supplements are a good fit because they are taken every day and reordered regularly – ideally, every customer won brings recurring revenue.

Margin: partner commissions must fit into your pricing.
What partners say: as the brand, you are also responsible for what is said about the product in your name – in conversations, in chats and in social media posts. Give your partners reviewed copy and train them on which statements are permitted.
Subscription and shipping: a subscription with direct shipping to end customers frees partners from stock and logistics.

B2B and corporate health

Companies buy supplements too – for example as an offer for employees as part of workplace health programs. Other B2B customers can include gyms, hotels or institutions that want to offer a product under their own brand.

The advantage: larger volumes per customer. The disadvantage: long decision processes, tenders and a heavy dependence on a few buyers. Have tax and employment-law questions about employee offers checked in the country concerned.

Logistics: who ships your products?

Your sales channel also determines how your products reach your customers:

Option	How it works	A good fit if …
Delivery to your warehouse	The manufacturer delivers the finished goods to you, and you ship them yourself.	you already have a warehouse or supply retailers.
External fulfillment provider	A logistics company stores, packs and ships for you.	you sell large volumes across several channels.
Manufacturer as fulfillment partner	The manufacturer ships directly to your end customers, under your brand.	you don’t want a warehouse, offer a subscription or sell personalized products.

With personalized products, direct shipping is almost a must: every box is produced for one specific person, so an intermediate warehouse offers no advantage.

Marketing: the rules apply in every channel

Whether in your shop, on a marketplace, in a consultation or in a sales partner’s post: in the EU, health-related statements about a supplement are only permitted if they have been authorized. Promises to cure are, as a rule, off-limits for foods. Which wording is allowed is explained in Health claims: what you may advertise.

Responsibility lies with whoever sells the product under their own name. So build a collection of reviewed statements early on, for use across all channels and by all partners.

Combining channels: a checklist

Most brands start with one channel, get to know their target group and then add more. Keep prices and messaging consistent so that your channels don’t undermine one another.

Your main channel for the launch is decided.
Retail price and margin are calculated for that channel – including fees, retail margins or commissions.
Packaging and pack size fit the channel: 30 or 90 daily servings, sticker or printed box.
Logistics are settled: your own warehouse, a fulfillment provider or direct shipping by the manufacturer.
The channel’s rules have been checked, such as a marketplace’s requirements or professional rules for practices.
All marketing claims have been reviewed, and your partners know them.
You know whether and how you will offer a subscription.

How we do it at Novogenia

Whichever sales channel you choose, Novogenia manufactures under your brand and stays in the background:

Your brand: product and packaging in your design, with “Made in Austria” or a neutral statement of origin, as you prefer.
Shipping to your customers: on request, we ship directly to your customers as your fulfillment partner.
Billing: via Novogenia or via your own system, with us as your fulfillment partner.
Subscription: 90-day subscription with automatic reorder – a good fit for web shops, practices and direct selling.
No large volume needed to start: production is possible from a single unit, and the larger the quantity, the lower the price per box; personalized projects typically start with a pilot of 200 to 500 customers.
Pack sizes: boxes with 30 or 90 daily servings.

For an instant, non-binding rough estimate of what your formula would cost at different quantities, use the AI price calculator in our chatbot (the chat button at the bottom right of our website); the Novogenia team then follows up with a verified offer.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I sell supplements?

The main supplement sales channels are your own web shop, marketplaces, practices and advisors, pharmacies and drugstores, direct selling and B2B customers such as companies. Which one fits depends on your target group, your margin and how much explanation your product needs. Many brands start with one channel and add more later.

What do I need to have in place before my first sale?

Whoever sells a supplement under their own name is responsible for the product and its labeling. Many EU countries require a notification – in Germany, for example, to the BVL at the latest when the product is first placed on the market; Austria provides for none. Retailers and marketplaces may also require their own documentation. At Novogenia, we handle the notification in most cases or guide you through it.

Can I sell supplements on Amazon?

In principle, yes – but marketplaces have their own rules for supplements, sometimes including approval processes and documentation requirements, and these can change. Check the marketplace’s current requirements before you plan your packaging and launch volume, and make sure your listing copy only contains authorized health claims.

Is direct selling a good fit for supplements?

Yes, because supplements are used daily and reordered regularly. Keep in mind: as the brand, you are also responsible for what your sales partners say about the product. So train them on which statements are permitted and give them reviewed copy to use.

Can Novogenia ship directly to my customers?

Yes. Novogenia can ship directly to your customers as your fulfillment partner, under your brand. Billing runs via Novogenia or via your own system. That way, you don’t need a warehouse of your own to launch.

Planning your own supplement brand?

Tell us about your project – target group, desired formula, planned volume. We will get back to you with a first assessment.

Request a project →Get an instant price estimate →Contract manufacturing at Novogenia

Note: This guide is general information and does not constitute legal advice. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted. Always have legal questions about your specific product checked by a qualified expert.